Black Lagoon Origins: Rock
by Preacher of Kepler
Summary: It's been years since Rock was introduced to his new life in Roanapur. Although having grown accustomed to it, he begins to question his place in the criminal city. During his introspection, Rock reminisces on his old life back in Japan, wondering if it was worth it to leave behind everything he had, including the one person that cared for him the most. (After Roberta OVA)
1. Rocky Downer

**Location: Roanapur, Thailand**

"The shipment's been delivered to the destination, Miss Balalaika." Dutch reported over his earpiece.

_"Excellent work, Dutch. I assume there were no unpleasant interruptions?" _asked Balalaika from the other end.

"Nothing we can't handle, ma'am. In fact, it was a bit too smooth..."

_"Always on the verge of caution..."_ Balalaika chuckled._ "That's exactly why the Lagoon Company lives up to its reputation. Anyways, your payment will be delivered in cash as you requested. As always, we'll contact you again when we have another job for you, Dutch."_

"Thank you kindly, we'll be waiting." Dutch finished before hanging up.

_'Nice and quiet... No bullshit...'_, thought Dutch as he sat on the cockpit seat.

Despite Revy's objections, this was the ideal scenario for Dutch. According to Benny's statistical calculations, there was always approximately a twenty percent chance that their missions didn't go as planned, which was too high for Dutch's comfort. It frustrated him whenever something tried to screw with the job, whether it was rival pirates attempting to intercept their shipments or clients backstabbing them at the last second. Still, the pros of this profession far outweighed the cons. Otherwise he would not have come to Roanapur in the first place. Ever since he deserted during the last days of the Vietnam war, Dutch has never looked back. Lastly, as he told Balalaika, it was nothing the crew couldn't handle, especially with Revy on board.

As Dutch piloted the PT boat, he continued staring out of the cockpit windshield, gazing into the beauty of the Milky Way galaxy. Despite his hectic lifestyle, it was moments like these that brought a measure of peace. Soon, Roanapur's city lights appeared on the horizon. Dutch pulled back the throttle slightly, allowing the vessel to slow down. Feeling proud of their generous payment, Dutch had plans for his crew when they made landfall.

At the deck, Rock sat on the starboard side, also staring into the night sky. Back in Tokyo, the city's pollution made it impossible to observe anything. Here on the waters of Southeast Asia, Rock was able to enjoy the mesmerizing luminescence of the stars everyday. But of course, these same waters were infested with pirates and other criminal low-lives, who have nearly taken his life on hundreds of occasions. Everything had its drawbacks after all...

"Hey Rock!" called out a voice from behind.

Rock turned around to see Revy walking towards with two beer cans on her hands.

"Think fast!" said Revy as she threw a can towards him.

His reflexes allowed Rock to grab the can just in time with both hands before having his face smashed.

"Please don't do that again..." pleaded Rock with a gasp before he set down the can.

"Ha! Pussy..." muttered Revy before quickly downing her beer. She then crushed it with her hand before tossing it overboard. She turned back to Rock, noticing his can wasn't even open. He appeared to zone out again, which frustrated her every time. "Hey! Aren't you gonna drink it?"

"Huh?" Rock snapped out of it before facing Revy. "Uh, what for?"

"Dutch is taking us to the Yellow Flag! We gotta pre-game, Rock!" Revy exclaimed excitingly.

Rock sighed and faced away before replying, "I'm good, no thanks."

"The pre-game or the Yellow Flag?" asked Revy, her smile disappearing.

"Both..." answered Rock nonchalantly.

This was the tenth time in a row Rock declined going out for drinks. Once in a while was no issue but this was getting out of hand. Something was wrong with him.

"Rock! This is the tenth fucking time you've tapped out! What the fuck's gotten into you?!"

"Just not in the mood..." Rock answered quietly.

Revy glared at him and began gritting her teeth before giving out a sigh. "You're such a fucking killjoy... Fine, whatever..."

She then grabbed Rock's beer and downed it in less than three seconds before throwing it out as well.

"You shouldn't litter, Revy." Rock pointed out.

"Oh fuck off, dipshit." Revy retorted with a middle finger.

As their ride went on, both sat on the deck in complete silence, irritating Revy. She could use a casual conversation with Rock but instead, he just sat there, staring into who knows what. In fact, he's been too silent recently. As if Rock's constant bail outs from the Yellow Flag wasn't enough, he's been doing absolutely nothing, aside from the job. If he wasn't working, Rock was a complete shut-in, declining every offer from the crew to do anything at all. Even during the job, he didn't open his mouth unless necessary, which was extremely out of character for Rock, considering what a blabber-mouth he usually was. Though she was initially thankful when Rock began keeping his trap shut, she did not ask for the other end of the extreme. He was becoming an introverted hermit and it pissed her off to no end.

Revy turned to face Rock, who was still staring out with a blank face, his eyes devoid of any emotion. She was no shrink but it didn't take a rocket scientist to see something was up. As much as Revy desperately wanted to ask Rock about what the hell was keeping him down so much, she never mustered the willpower nor courage to do it. Emotionally comforting someone wasn't her forte after all. Far from it, actually. She was a gunslinger, not a therapist. And that shit was supposed to be Rock's job. Yet, here they were now with the roles seemingly switched. Revy slightly smirked at the irony before she gazed upon Rock once more.

_'What the hell is going on with you, Rocky Boy...'_

Within an hour, the Black Lagoon finally arrived on port, parking itself along the wooden pier. After tying down the boat, Rock was the first to head off, leaving the crew to stare at him. Dutch, Revy and Benny watched as he walked towards the office with his head down. Once Rock entered the building, Dutch gave out a frustrated sigh.

"Something wrong, Dutch?" asked Benny.

"You know exactly what's wrong..." retorted Dutch.

"There's a big fucking elephant in the room, Benny Boy." added Revy, crossing her arms.

"Well, he's been like this for a while now. I'd say it's been about ten weeks." pointed out Benny.

"You knew about it for that long and haven't done shit about it!" Revy glared at him.

"Just pointing out my observations, Revy. And you haven't exactly done anything to help him either..." he shrugged.

"You want a second asshole, Benny?!" Revy snapped as she curled her fists.

"That's enough!" interrupted Dutch. "Look, one thing's clear. Something's messing with that kid inside and we can't keep it under the rug any longer."

"No shit, Dutch. You just figure that out?" commented Revy sarcastically.

"Benny, what are your thoughts?" asked Dutch as he faced him.

"I'm afraid I don't know anymore than you do, Dutch. Though from the surface, I say Rock might be suffering from depression..." suggested Benny.

"So what? He should see a fucking therapist then?" Revy rolled her eyes. "Where the hell are we gonna find one in this shithole anyways?"

"Actually, there are ten certified psychiatrists in Roanapur. Criminals aren't immune to mental health issues, you know. They're just like anyone else." Benny corrected her with a matter-of-fact tone, causing Revy to grit her teeth again before calming down.

"Hmph... Fucking nerd..." she huffed, earning another shrug from Benny.

"You know what? You two wait by the car." ordered Dutch as he began walking towards the office.

"Where are you going?" asked Benny.

"I'm gonna have a little talk with the kid, it won't take long. I'll join you guys when I'm done." replied Dutch as he disappeared into the office building.

"Eh, he'll be fine..." smiled Benny as he walked off towards his GTO.

Revy on the other hand, just stood at the pier, motionless. She was pissed at Rock for putting the entire crew through this bullshit. At the same time, she couldn't help but feel concern for that bastard.

At the office, Rock sat in front of his work desk and began working on the Lagoon Company's necessary paperwork, including budget appropriations and other financial calculations. Although he was a pirate now, Rock's work ethic hasn't changed despite leaving his old salary job in Japan. Work always came first and he preferred to get it all done before anything else. This was why Dutch became impressed by Rock so quickly during his early days in the Lagoon Company. At one point, Dutch was so impressed that he gave Rock a bonus for doing such a great job. This was the difference between the Lagoon Company and Asahi Industries. Here, Dutch compensated for Rock's hard work accordingly whereas in Asahi, Rock never received a single raise despite all the overtime hours he put in. But even more importantly, Dutch and the crew actually respected Rock while back in Japan, he was a slave in all but name. As strange as it sounded, Rock was thankful that the Lagoon company kidnapped him that day. Though he certainly never wanted to relive the experience, it did reveal what kind of slimy bastards pulled the strings within Asahi, such as Kageyama. If Dutch instead left Rock behind on that tanker ship, he would still be in Japan, most likely still living the same dull life he did before. But of course, like anywhere else, Roanapur had its downs. In fact, ever since some very problematic incidents, Rock was beginning to question if it was all worth it or not. In fact, he was beginning think about-

A series of knocks suddenly interrupted Rock's thoughts. He turned to see his door creak open, revealing Dutch.

"Dutch?"

"Hey, Rock." greeted Dutch as he walked in.

"Can I help you?" asked Rock, putting down his pen.

Before Dutch answered, he immediately closed the door behind him. He then took out cigarette carton from his vest and bit out a piece before extending it to Rock. Rock nodded and took out a piece before Dutch lit the tip with his lighter. As they enjoyed their smokes, Dutch stood just there, seemingly contemplating his next words. Whatever he had for him, Rock could tell it was something serious. Dutch then gave a deep exhale before putting down his cigarette and staring into Rock.

"Rock... What's going on?" began Dutch.

"What are you talking about?" asked Rock, confused.

"You've been such a downer lately, Rock. Everyday, you look like you're having a crappy fucking time. No offense, but your facial expression reeks of melancholy and it's becoming painful to watch. I don't even remember the last time I saw you even remotely smile. Speaking of last times, when was the last time you were at the Yellow Flag?"

Honestly not knowing the answer either, Rock shrugged before replying, "Isn't it always a crappy day in this town, Dutch?

"Stop being a smartass for a second!" Dutch raised his voice, alarming Rock. "I'm going to ask you again, Rock. What the hell's been bothering you so much lately?"

_Damn it..._, Rock cursed to himself. He knew this moment would come eventually. But he did want to discuss this. Not because he didn't trust Dutch, but because he didn't know how to handle it... Unable to provide a response, Rock stayed silent.

"Answer me, Rock!" Dutch demanded, startling Rock again.

Panicking, Rock tried to say something.

"I... I'm...Umm..." Rock stuttered, still unable to muster up an answer. "I'm sorry, Dutch, I don't really know what's going on either... There's just too much in my mind right now..."

"Rock, let me make this clear: I value my employees very much. In fact, I see our entire crew more than just mere employees, including you." said Dutch in a more calm voice.

"Th-thanks, Dutch." thanked Rock nervously.

"Therefore, I try to look after my employees as best as I can, not only because I genuinely care about you, but also to ensure things run as best as possible. An employee with a troubled home life is ill-suited to do the job at hand. Now don't get me wrong, Rock, you're still excellent at what you do. At the same time, however, we can't deny reality. And the reality is that you're human with human limitations. Things may seem fine now, but eventually, whatever the hell's bothering you so much will begin to affect your job performance and not in a good way. And that's when we'll have problems. In fact, Rock, it's already beginning to become a problem for someone on the crew: Revy."

Dutch mentioning Revy caused Rock to have his heart skip a beat. The prospect of burdening Revy with all of this caused a slight surge of guilt within him.

Sensing what Rock was thinking, Dutch gave a sigh before walking over and leaning on the desk.

"Don't beat yourself over it. It's nothing she can't handle. But the point still stands, Rock. This whole doom and gloom shit isn't serving you any good. And I hate to see you suffer through this. So I ask you for the third time, not just as your employer, but as your friend, Rock. What's bothering you?"

Rock sighed, still unsure how to explain it.

"Please, Rock... Just say something." demanded Dutch.

Rock began touching shirt's collars before giving out a sigh. "It... It was a couple months ago, when shit hit the fan..."

Dutch raised an eyebrow, confused at what Rock was suggesting. Dutch rubbed his chin and began going through his memories from the last couple months, trying to recall what exactly happened that may connect to this.

_When shit hit the fan...,_ Dutch pondered in his thoughts. Suddenly, his eyes widened as it dawned on him what Rock meant.

"Roberta..." muttered Dutch, to which Rock silently nodded. He was surprised Dutch was able to figure it out so quickly.

Still initially unsure how this related to anything, Dutch stood motionless, attempting connected the dots. However, it wasn't long until he finally understood what was going on.

"I think finally get it now..."

"You do?" asked Rock, surprised.

"I should've seen this coming..." Dutch slowly shook his head as he looked away. "The shit you did back then... I never thought you out of all people would be capable of doing it... And you haven't exactly been the same since then..."

Rock simply sat in silence, unsure of what to say next. Dutch was right and there was no way to rebuke what he just said.

"Is that what's troubling you? Let me guess, you've been questioning about your place here, haven't you?" deduced Dutch.

Rock nodded before adding, "It's part of it..."

"Then what's the other part?"

"I don't feel comfortable talking about that." avoided Rock, his voice suddenly filled with sadness.

Dutch sighed in frustration before he stood back up. "Have at it then... In any case, this conversation was certainly a good start..."

"Look, I'm sorry, Dutch. I shouldn't be such a-"

"Don't apologize, Rock." Dutch cut him off. "We all go through our rough patches. We can't control that. But what we can control is how we deal with it. And I expect you to figure this shit out soon before the problem worsens. Understood?"

"Got it, Dutch." nodded Rock.

"In the meantime, I'm giving you time off for two weeks. Use that time to do what you have to do, but stay away from ANY stressful activities. That's not a suggestion, that's an order." commanded Dutch, earning a nod from Rock.

"Lastly, we're not done with this conversation. You may not be ready to spill everything right now, and I respect that. So I'll give you as much time as you need to think it over. But I do expect you to tell me the full picture eventually. I don't care what it is because evidently, it's affecting the job and therefore, it's my concern as well. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Dutch..." Rock nodded once more.

"Good. Once again, Rock, I value you very much and I don't wanna see you end up anywhere you shouldn't. And I want to help you with it, don't forget that." Dutch gave a light smile.

"Thanks, Dutch." Rock smiled back as well.

"Revy and Benny are probably getting impatient by now..." said Dutch as he checked his watch. "You sure you still don't wanna come?"

"You ordered me to do what I have to do to figure this shit out. And finishing this paperwork is what I need right now." Rock gave a smug look.

Dutch shook his head in amusement as he opened the door. "I thought I told you to stop being a smartass." he chuckled before walking out. "Take care, Rock."

"Night, Dutch." Rock waved.

After the door shut, Rock collapsed into his chair and gave a huge sigh of relief.

_'Damn it, Rock! Look what you've done...' _Rock mentally beat himself.

Despite his best attempts to conceal everything within him, it was inevitable for Dutch to eventually catch up on it. As eccentric as he was, he was an extremely intelligent guy who could read someone without effort. Still, Rock felt some relief from how well Dutch took in everything. However, despite Dutch's ultimatum, he did not feel like sharing the rest of the story with anyone anytime soon. Not wanting to delve into these thoughts further, Rock brushed them off and returned his focus on the work at hand. He immediately sat up straight before continuing his paperwork.

Within an hour, Rock finished all of his tasks and stretched out his arms in relief. After sitting on a chair in a confined room nonstop, he really needed a walk and some fresh air. After clearing up his desk, Rock grabbed his keys and walked out of his room, heading downstairs for the exit. Unbeknownst to him, however, Rock was being watched by someone.

_'Fucking finally! How long has he been in there?!'_ thought Revy as she watched him disappear down the staircase.

Curiosity got the best of Revy and she was no longer in the mood for the Yellow Flag. After following Dutch into the office, she's been hiding in the dark hallway ever since, eavesdropping on everything. She paid close attention to the entire conversation between them, remembering every word. One word stuck out to her, however. When Dutch mentioned _Roberta_, she couldn't help but curl her fists in anger. She was glad that the terminator maid was crippled beyond any chance of recovery and hoped to never see her again. But she was also reminded of the manipulative shit Rock did. It conflicted her perception of him, the very perception that brought her some measure of sanity in this fucked up part of the world. Regardless, Dutch was right. Roberta's rampage had something to do with Rock's recent attitude. But she was also curious to find out more, especially the part Rock was unwilling to share.

Revy slowly walked out of her hiding spot and quietly began tailing Rock downstairs.

_'Where are ya off to now, Rocky Boy...'_

* * *

**A/N:**

**I hope this first chapter was a good first impression! I've been writing on this site for a while now but this is my first Black Lagoon story so apologies if something seem out of place. I just finished watching all the episodes and it is hands down one of the best anime I've seen. **

**As the title suggests, this story will cover Rock's old life before joining the Lagoon Company. There won't be a lot of action and it'll mostly be about drama and family. I also plan on writing origin stories for the other characters as well, who's storyboards I just finished a while ago. **

**Anyways, I'm very eager to show you what I've got!**

**Please review! Thank you!**


	2. Beat Down

Despite Roanapur being filled with some of the lowest of the low humanity had to offer, nothing managed to degrade the natural beauty of the island itself. Although it didn't reach the level of the Maldives or Phuket Island, Roanapur's waters were surprisingly crystal clear and its beaches were covered with fine sand. Mother nature was the only thing bringing some semblance of life in the _city of the dead. _If it weren't for all the rampant crime, perhaps Roanapur could've been a great tourist resort like the other islands of the Gulf of Thailand.

After leaving the Lagoon office, Rock took a stroll on the nearby beach, taking gentle steps to ensure sand didn't end up inside his shoes. He always enjoyed walking on this beach after a long day's worth of work, allowing himself to remove the stress. In fact, these days Rock found this to be a better form of stress relief than going to the Yellow Flag. As he thought of it, he couldn't remember the last time he drank alcohol seriously.

After a couple minutes of walking along the shoreline, Rock stepped closer to the edges of the beach, stopping just in front of where the waves reached the farthest. He lit another cigarette and took a deep inhale before staring into the dark horizon. Once again, Rock found himself gazing at the stars, enamored by what their galaxy had to offer.

Two years... Two long years... Rock could hardly believe so much time had passed since he entered the life in Roanapur, or as he liked to put it, when Roanapur entered _his_ life. As he once said during his first shootout experience at the Yellow Flag, all Rock wanted before was to graduate from college and get a job at a big corporation. And where was he now? A place that embodied the very idea of _Sin City_. Rock still found it hard to believe that this was his life now. If he were told back in his college years that Roanapur was his future, he would've laughed his ass off. Why would anyone willingly give up the comfort and security of a civilized society and trade it for an unstable life of crime? To any sane individual, this was an asinine decision. That's exactly how Rokuro Okajima viewed things. But ever since that fateful day... The day he became Rock... It became clear that many of his preconceptions were lies. From the surface, Japan was that ideal place of life. Having a strong and prosperous economy, a stable political system, a low crime rate, and a culture that accentuated politeness (perhaps a bit too much sometimes), it sounded like the perfect place to raise a family and live out a peaceful albeit mundane life. But in truth, there was a lot of ugliness hidden beneath all that smoke screen. Even a place like Japan had many of the same problems as Roanapur: People suffered in masses and individuals manipulated and exploited each other for selfish gains. People like Kageyama had no qualms about throwing away people's lives to achieve their money-motivated ambitions. The difference was that Roanapur didn't try to hide its true nature behind a fake face. Deep down, Rock knew of all of this since the beginning. But it was only when Kageyama signed his death warrant that Rock finally had the balls to accept this truth. Since then, he has rarely looked back. Part of himself died that very day because again, he was no longer Rokuro Okajima. Rokuro Okajima, a lowly and insignificant salaryman of a corrupt corporation, was officially dead. He was now Rock, a salaryman-turned-pirate for the Lagoon Company, who's eccentric crew treated him like family more than his real family ever did. Except for one individual...

The thought of his family slightly made Rock's chest feel heavy. It was not the thought of his parents that made him feel emotional, however. No, unlike his parents, this person supported and defended Rock when he needed it. Unlike his parents, this family member genuinely cared for his younger sibling and never gave up on him. And Rock, despite reciprocating these feelings for his older brother, left him...

_'Ryushi...'_

* * *

**Year: 1983 (14 years earlier)**

**Location: Tokyo, Japan**

Eight hours have passed since the school day began and students of the classroom were looking deathly tired. Rokuro Okajima kept taking glances at the clock, waiting for its minute arm to reach the top. Like everyone else, he just wanted to go home and forget about school. The fact that it was a Friday made everyone even more impatient. Still, Rokuro was just glad that the weekend was here. Meanwhile, the teacher finally finished his lecture and began listing down objectives on the chalk board.

"Before you leave, class, remember to have both assignments and the essay ready by Monday. Any late submissions will not be accepted, no exceptions." stated Omura-sensei, the history teacher of the class. "Is that clear?"

"Yes, Omura-sensei!" replied the students in unison.

"That is all for today. You are dismissed, class." finished Omura-sensei as he put down his chalk.

The bell conveniently rang afterwards, signifying the end of the school day. As the students began packing their stuff, the classroom was quickly filled with loud chatter, some discussing their plans for after school while a group of boys began horsing around, earning a stern look from Omura. Meanwhile, Rokuro just wanted to leave as quickly as possible. Not having many friends to begin with, he saw no point in hanging around. He finished packing his books and was the first to head out of the classroom.

Outside, Rokuro walked through the front courtyard and headed straight for the entrance gate. As he passed by a group of girls, he took a quick glance at one of them, Haruka, who happened to be most popular girl in school. Despite still being in middle school, she was already developing some impressive curves in her body. Blushing, Rokuro swiftly brushed away his perverted thoughts. Still, Rokuro couldn't help it because after all, he was like every other middle school boy, whose hormones were raging wild. Though Haruka already had a boyfriend, Rokuro couldn't help but secretly fantasize about being her boyfriend himself. Still any chances of him wooing her were virtually none since she was also a grade above him. Rokuro slip out a slight smile before hastily walking away.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Rokuro, he was being observed by a group of boys from a distance. One of them kept spinning his pocket knife, glaring at him with a predatory stare.

"Ha! Did you see that? That loser was definitely staring at Haruka's ass!" remarked one of them.

"C'mon, Takeshi, let's get him! What do you say?" suggested another.

Takeshi continued to spin his knife until finally sheathing it. He then stood up before giving his group a nod.

"Let's go for a hunt, boys." grinned Takeshi menacingly.

"Alright, let's do it!" exclaimed his group approvingly, slamming their fists on their palms.

Takeshi's goons stood up from the benches and followed their ringleader as they began tailing Rokuro.

Meanwhile, Rokuro kept strolling through downtown, attempting to quickly reach the metro station. As he stumbled upon an intersection, however, he ran into what appeared to be a traffic jam. It wasn't even rush hour period, yet the streets were completely filled with pedestrians and unmoving cars who kept honking at each other.

"Damn it..." uttered Rokuro.

Knowing he'd miss his metro ride if he continued his current route, Rokuro decided to make a detour and take a short cut through another area. He hesitated for a moment since the said area was a slum, which the school warned to stay away from. Regardless, he decided to take his chances and proceeded anyways. After crossing the street, he took a left turn before entering an alley. As he entered, he cringed when seeing all the grotesque graffiti messages on the walls. He could also smell the putrid stench from all the garbage, prompting him to cover his nose. Not wanting to be late, Rokuro began picking up his pace. The sooner he got out of this place, the better.

As he was about to exit the alley, however, two figures suddenly appeared from the corner and blocked the exit before slowly approaching him. Rokuro instantly stopped and observed their appearances. Both wore the same school uniforms that he did but according to their chest tags, they were upperclassmen. However, Rokuro instantly sensed hostility from their expressions and immediately attempted to make a run for it. Unfortunately, when he turned around, he saw two more figures already blocking the other side and approaching as well. Rokuro was now flanked, having nowhere to escape.

"Well well well... If it isn't Okajima..." called out a voice.

Rokuro turned around once more and found himself facing Takeshi, who walked through the two figures before stopping in front of him with his arms crossed.

"T-Takeshi?" stuttered Rock.

"What's wrong, Rokuro? Why do you sound so nervous?" grinned Takeshi, earning laughters from the others.

"Wha... What d-do you w-want?" Rock stuttered once more, now trembling in fear.

Takeshi and his goons continued laughing, amused by Rokuro's reactions. It wasn't unwarranted, however, since Takeshi and his goons were known as their school's most notorious bullies. No one dared to challenge them, lest they wanted to get beaten before being humiliated in front of others. They were unquestioningly at the top of the school's social order, with the exception of the clique of popular girls like Haruka.

"Just look at him, boys! He's about to piss his pants!" remarked Takeshi and continued to laugh.

"P-Please... Just... Leave me alone! I'll do anything!" pleaded Rokuro, who began hyperventilating from all the anxiety.

Takeshi slowed his laughter before raising an eyebrow at Rokuro.

"_Anything_, you say?" he asked.

"Yes, anything! Please, I just want to go home!" Rokuro kept begging.

"Hmmm..." Takeshi took a few moments before smiling once more. "Well, in that case, hand over all of your money right now." he demanded. "And I know you have some so don't even think about lying." he warned as well.

Rokuro took a gulp from what he just heard. He expected something like doing his homework for him, which he could accept. But giving up his money was not one of them. His parents punished him severely every time he lost his money, which he did frequently, and it didn't matter whether it was his fault or not. And Rokruo did not want to face their wrath again, which would've been the fourth time this month. Even if he wasn't going to get beaten up by Takeshi and his goons, Rokuro was guaranteed that his father would when he got home. Being between a rock and a hard place, Rokuro hesitated.

"Is that a no, Rokuro?" growled Takeshi, causing Rokuro to flinch.

Takeshi's change of tone was enough to put Rokuro on panic mode. He quickly took out his wallet and grabbed all of its cash before handing to Takeshi.

"Please, take it! J-Just don't hurt me!" Rokuro began tearing up. His hands shook, barely able to hold the bundle of cash together.

Takeshi grinned in satisfaction and plucked away the cash before flipping through the bills.

"Smart boy..." muttered Takeshi before giving a nod to his goons.

Rokuro felt a sudden shove on his back, nearly falling down. However, before he could rebalance himself, Takeshi suddenly struck Rokuro in the face, finally causing him collapse to the ground.

"Nice shot!" cheered one of the goons.

"Kick his ass!" called out another.

Lying on the ground, Rokuro hissed in pain as blood began leaking from his nose. He desperately tried to stop the bleeding by holding his nostrils. Rokuro then slowly looked up to see Takeshi towering over him, still having a sadistic grin on his face.

"W-Why? I gave you the money!" cried Rokuro.

"Just look at you, Rokuro... You're so pathetic! Letting people walk all over you like that! I despise weaklings like you! Cowards like you will never amount to anything in life! I can only imagine how ashamed your family feels about you..."

At this point, Rokuro couldn't withhold his tears and began whimpering, earning more laughs from the goons.

"Aww... I think you made him cry!" mocked one of them before continuing to cackle.

Takeshi continued counting all the bills before stuffing it in his pocket. He then gave out a devious smile.

"He's all yours, boys!"

Soon, Takeshi's goons closed in on Rokuro and began kicking him down senselessly. Rokuro curled up to protect his face but in response, the goons kicked his hands, forcing him to pull them away. When there was finally an opening, one of the goons landed a kick on his face, fazing him. Soon, Rokuro's vision began to blur and he was feeling delirious.

_'Why do I have to suffer like this..."_ Rokuro thought to himself, already on the verge of passing out.

"**HEY, YOU** **BRATS!**" roared a distant voice.

Takeshi and his goons instantly ceased their beating and turned their attention towards the source. Approaching them was a tall stranger, also wearing a school uniform. However, unlike them, he appeared to be wearing the uniform of a high schooler. Angered from the sudden interruption, Takeshi grit his teeth and stepped forward to confront the intruder. The high schooler continued to march towards him until both stood at an arm's length from one another.

"Who the hell do you think you are?! Mind your own damn business!" growled Takeshi, attempting to intimidate him. He could careless about the fact that he was a high schooler. He would gladly indulge this stranger with his fists.

Meanwhile, the high schooler was unfazed and glared into Takeshi's eyes before replying, "I'm Rokuro's _brother_."

"Ryushi?" whispered Rokuro, his face completely bloodied and eyes now swelled up.

The whisper was loud enough to catch Ryushi's attention. Upon seeing his little brother injured and lying helplessly on the ground, Ryushi felt an overwhelming surge of rage. He could barely contain his fists. Unfortunately for the goons, Ryushi didn't plan to for much longer.

Meanwhile, upon hearing what Ryushi just said, Takeshi's goons began to slowly back away from Rokuro. However, Takeshi, being the cocky person he was, refused to back down and instead began laughing in tears, only to find all of this even more amusing.

"So what's this, huh? Big brother coming to save the day?" mocked Takeshi.

Ryushi grit his teeth, curling his fists and just barely able to hold them back. It was as if they had minds of their own.

"No, I'm having a _really_ rough day right now. And I'm **very **pissed off about it." Ryushi snarled.

Takeshi tried his best to withhold his laughter but couldn't help as it burst out of his lungs.

"Oh this is getting so good, haha! That's a great line! Did you get that from a movie?! Hahaha!" Takeshi continued cackle loudly, struggling to breath between his laughs.

"Man, this is just too good! I mean seriously! Before you showed up, we've been stomping on your sorry excuse of a brother and that's after we took his lunch money!" Takeshi recounted, causing the Ryushi's to widen.

Having heard enough, Ryushi grit his teeth and curled his fists tightly.

"You should've seen the look on that sissy's face! He was squealing like a little girl! Oh man, I feel sorry for you having that scrawny stick-face as your broth-"

Takeshi was unable to finish his sentence as a fist struck his left temple. He instantly fell to the ground, his body already limp. Takeshi was knocked out cold... Ryushi then leaned down to Takeshi's body, plucking away the cash in Takeshi's pocket before standing back up, giving the rest a death glare.

"Anyone else?" asked Ryushi, ready for more.

Meanwhile, Takeshi's goons just stared back, too shocked to move or say anything. In their eyes, the whole thing just flashed by in less than a second. They swore that they also heard a loud crack from the impact of Takeshi's skull, causing their balls to shrivel up. Time appeared to have stopped as both parties just stared at each other, neither side taking any action. Suddenly, one of the goons stepped forward before slowly setting himself in a fighting position, earning looks of horror from his comrades.

"What the hell are you doing, you idiot?!" whispered one of them.

"You guys want to be cowards, go ahead! But I'm not letting this bastard get away with this!" growled the foolhardy goon.

Without warning, the goon charged towards Ryushi. Before he could throw a punch, however, he was met with a series of fist and elbow strikes before being finished with a hook kick, sending him airborne. The goon then flew face first into a wall before crashing down into a garbage can. Now, there were two unconscious bodies at the scene.

The surviving goons trembled in fear and began backing away even further. Ryushi noticed one of the goons' pants having a noticeable blotch of wet stain on his crotch. It wasn't long before piss began dripping from his pants. Normally, Ryushi would've laughed at what he was witnessing. But as of now, he was too angry to process any humor.

"I suggest the rest of you leave. Because _big brother_ can get **very angry**..." Ryushi growled with a rasp.

The surviving goons didn't hesitate and instantly sprinted off, quickly exiting the alley before disappearing. The goon who pissed himself began running in an awkward fashion, already lagging behind and trying his best to not let the urine stain his trousers any further. Whatever the case, he was about to earn a lot of stares from strangers.

Meanwhile, Ryushi quickly walked over to Rokuro before leaning down.

"Rokuro! Are you alright?!" Ryushi shook him.

"Ryu..." Rokuro barely let out a groan.

"Come on! Get up!" exclaimed Ryushi as he grabbed Rokuro and lifted him up from the ground.

Once Rokuro got on his feet, Ryushi examined his face closer. His nose was completely bloodied and his right eye already had a faint purple blotch. Fearing the worst, Rryushi carefully touched the nose cartilage, causing Rokuro to hiss in pain. Nevertheless, Ryushi continued twirling it, attempting to move it around. Realizing his nose was still firmly planted, Ryushi let go and sighed in relief; Rokuro's nose wasn't broken. Still, it wasn't enough to calm down Ryushi of the situation at hand. In fact, he was still very furious at Rokuro. He then examined the rest of his body, finding his uniform covered in dirt and the collars of his shirt stained in blood.

"Damn it, Rokuro! What did I tell you about coming to this part of the town?!" Ryushi raised his voice, causing Rokuro to look down in shame.

"Look at me, Rokuro!" Ryushi ordered him, to which Rokuro complied.

"Hold still..." Ryushi instructed as he held Rukuro by his forehead. Ryushi then took out a tissue from his pocket before slowly wiping the blood off of his face and neck.

"You're a mess..." sighed Ryushi.

"I'm sorry, Ryushi..." sniffed Rokuro.

After he finished wiping off the blood, Ryushi pressed both hands on Rokuro's shoulders before looking into his eyes.

"Rokuro, this is the third time you've caught yourself in this situation! Why do you continue to do this?!"

"I didn't want to miss my train... So I took a short cut..." Rokuro answered weakly.

"It's not worth risking your safety because of your impatience!" retorted Ryushi, firming his grasp on Rokuro's shoulder.

"I-I'm sorry, Ryushi, it won't happen again..."

"You always make that promise yet look what just happened!" Ryushi raised his voice, causing Rokuro to flinch before tearing up.

Realizing what he just did, Ryushi calmed himself down before releasing his grip on Rokuro's shoulders.

"Rokuro, I care about you very much, _little brother_. And I hate to see you put yourself in danger like this. Imagine if I wasn't here for you! What would've happened then? Huh? I wouldn't be able to live with myself! This is why my mind can never rest! Because I'm so damn worried for you all the time! And for good reasons because it's hard to protect someone who tries so hard to get himself hurt all the time!"

Rokuro began tearing up again before finally breaking down. "I-I'm sorry Ryushi, I r-really am." Rokuro stuttered between his sniffs.

_'Damn it... He's s__uch a softie...' _thought Ryushi as he shook his head. Nevertheless, he wrapped his arms around Rokuro before embracing him.

"Don't be sorry for me, Rokuro. Be sorry for yourself. You're the one who's getting hurt, not me."

Ryushi then pulled back before looking into Rokuro's eyes once more.

"However, you have to promise me on thing, Rokuro. Please promise me for real this time that you'll be more careful. And never come to this part of town again! Understand?" beseeched Ryushi, to which Rokuro nodded. "Good. Let's go home, come on."

Ryushi put a hand around Rokuro's shoulder. However, as he tried dragging him, Ryushi could feel Rokuro resisting.

"What's wrong?" asked Ryushi as he looked back. Rokuro's eyes were filled with fear and Ryushi knew exactly what it was about.

"I won't tell mother and father about this, I promise. We'll tell them that you just fell from the stairs, okay?" assured Ryushi, letting Rokuro relax in relief and nod in approval. "Now let's go, Rokuro..."

With that, the two brothers headed towards the alley's exit. Rokuro struggled to walk forward but Ryushi, being the protective brother he was, put an arm around his shoulder and helped him through. As they continued walking in silence, Ryushi pondered how he was going to explain to their parents about the blood stain on Rokuro's shirt. If only that kid had some semblance of common sense, none of this would've happened...

_'What am I going to do with you, Rokuro...'_

Later, Takeshi groggily opened his eyes. His head still felt like it was shaking and he struggled to get up.

_'Ugh... what happened...'_

Takeshi the lifted his head up and began looking around until he saw one of his goons passed out in a trash can.

_'What the...'_

He continued looking around, searching for the rest of his group until it finally dawned on him that he was alone. The cowards had ditched him, enraging Takeshi.

"Hey guys! What the hell?!" he shouted in anger as struggled to get back up, only to collapse again.

* * *

**A/N:**

**I hope you enjoyed the younger version Rock! It took me a while to figure out the characterization but let me know what you think of it. I'm also going to refer to him as Rokuro because this is before he earned the name "Rock" so it'd feel out of place if I referred to him by that. **

**Please review! Thank you!**


	3. A Bridge Too Far

**Year: 1988 (5 years later)**

Rokuro, along with dozens of other students, sat by the edges of the hallway. The dreaded day of the college entrance exam finally arrived. Many attempted to study some of the material the last minute by glueing their eyes onto the study guide textbooks. Meanwhile, Rokuro just sat still, trying his best to relax. He knew any attempts to cram information were futile. Still, despite preparing his entire life for this very day, Rokuro did not feel confident at all because academics wasn't exactly his forte. Though he wasn't a delinquent, his grades left a lot to be desired. Meanwhile, his brother Ryushi excelled in school and was already accepted to the University of Tokyo, one of the most prestigious universities in Japan. Their parents were very proud of his achievements and now, they expected Rokuro to do the same. Deep down, however, Rokuro knew that this wasn't a possibility. Ryushi's intellectual capabilities were on a whole different league and if Rokuro was anything like his brother, it would've already been known by now. Instead, Rokuro struggled to keep an eighty percent average for his classes whereas Ryushi aced everything with flying colors. Beginning to feel frustration creeping in, Rokuro shook off his thoughts and returned his focus on the upcoming exam. The outcome wasn't determined yet and if Rokuro got lucky, perhaps things could work out and everything would be good and dandy. Even if he didn't ace the exam, Rokuro knew he would pass the exam at the very least.

Suddenly, the door to the exam room opened, revealing a woman in glasses, dressed in a business outfit.

"Students of Group 2, please stand up and enter the exam room!" she announced.

Rokuro gulped as the students around him stood up.

_'Let's do this!' _Rokuro thought to himself before joining the others.

As Rokuro entered the classroom, his heart began to pound faster and faster. He sat on his designated seat as the door finally shut. There was no turning back now.

"Okay everyone, please take out your pencils and set them on your desk! Do not open the exam packet yet, please!" instructed the woman.

Afterwards, the woman began reading the instructions of the exam, to which the students tediously waited for her to finish. As she finally closed her booklet, she began setting up her watch before facing back at the students.

"You may begin!" announced the woman.

The countdown started and Rokuro quickly grabbed his pencil before opening the exam packet. However this turned out, this was going to be the longest five hours for Rokuro.

* * *

**(a month later)**

December came and the city of Tokyo was blanketed in snow. Rokuro struggled to walk through the powdered snow while his face withstood the stinging pain from the freezing wind chill. Some of the snow already got into his shows, dampening his socks, much to his discomfort.

_'I really should've worn those boots...' _thought Rokuro as he kept marching.

On the flip side, there were barely any cars on the road, allowing Rokuro to freely cross the streets without interruptions. Regardless, Rokuro sucked it up and continued his trek.

After an arduous journey, Rokuro finally reached his neighborhood and walked up to his house. As he neared the front door, Rokuro could smell roasted fish, causing excess saliva to form in his mouth. After a long day, Rokuro could really use a hot meal.

_'Mmm...' _

As Rokuro entered his house, he shook off the snow from his shoes before slipping them off.

"I'm home!" called out Rokuro as he closed the door behind him. There was no response, however.

Curious, Rokuro headed towards the living room, only to find his father Ichiro sitting on the couch with his arms crossed. Meanwhile, his mother Mariko continued cooking on the kitchen with her head lowered.

"Father?" asked Rokuro.

"Sit down, Rokuro." commanded Ichiro, to which Rokuro complied. His father's sudden cold demeanor began to frighten him.

"What's going on?" Rokuro asked nervously.

Ichiro then took out a folded document before tossing it at the coffee table before him. Rokuro stared at the piece of paper, unsure what it pertained to.

"What's this?" he asked, only to receive a silent glare from his father.

Rokuro cautiously took the document before unfolding it. He began reading from top to bottom until stopping at the middle, where a big stamp was planted on a square box. Rokuro's eyes widened upon what he saw in front of him.

_'NO PASS' _said the stamp.

Rokuro Okajima has scored insufficiently on his college entrance exam, thus disqualifying him from enrolling in any higher education institutions. Rokuro's hands began to shake, unable to process the revelation.

"Now you know of the dire the situation at hand, Rokuro..." spoke Ichiro, causing Rokuro to look up to him. "Never in my fifty years did I ever think that a son of mine would be such a delinquent..."

"I-I'm sorry, father, I don't know how this could've possibly happen-" stuttered Rokuro but was swiftly cut off.

"I don't want to hear any excuses!" Ichiro raised his voice. "There are only two possibilities here, Rokuro. Either you didn't try hard enough, or you're too _mentally retarded _to properly function..."

"Ichiro, don't say that!" interrupted Mariko.

"You stay out of this, woman!" roared Ichiro before turning back to Rokuro. "So tell me, Rokuro, why were you unable to pass the college entrance exam? What could've possibly caused you to stoop this low?"

The crass insult from his own father felt like a piercing wound on Rokuro's heart. He was used to being belittled by him but this was a whole new level. Still, Rokuro kept his cool and attempted to explain his situation.

"I don't know what to say, father... I studied as hard as I could. I utilized all the resources from tutors to cram schools... I spent no less than six hours everyday after school to study for the exam... I'm deeply shocked as you are..."

"Well evidently it was NOT enough!" Ichiro suddenly slammed his fist on the table, causing everyone to flinch. "You should've known about the inadequacy and committed even _more_ effort! Even if you were to lose sleep!"

_'__But if I lose sleep, I won't be able to focus at all...' _thought Rokuro, raising his eyebrow.

"Actually, there is an even more likely third possibility: You are nothing but a lazy child who's too immature and shortsighted to care about his future! It all makes, sense! Tell me, Rokuro... All these times you've been leaving the house late at night, what have you been doing instead of studying?! Going to the arcade to indulge yourself in those idiotic gaming machines?! Horsing around with your friends, drinking until sun dawn?! What have you been doing that's possibly more important than your future?!"

Rokuro was dumbfounded from hearing these accusations. Whatever crap Ichiro just spouted was all lies. He didn't even like video games and he barely had any friends in school, just as always. His father appeared to merely make up bullshit out of thin air to place all blame on him. Before Rokuro could retort his nonsense, someone walked into the scene.

"What's with all the yelling?" interrupted Ryushi as he appeared in the living room.

Upon seeing him, Ichiro's face lit up. "Ah, Ryushi! You've come just in time! Please, join us and take a seat!"

Unsure of what was going on, Ryushi shrugged and did as told, sitting down next to Rokuro.

"What's going on?" asked Ryushi.

"Your brother failed to pass his university entrance exam..." replied Ichiro, crossing his arms.

Ryushi's eyes widened and his jaws slowly dropped. "Wait, what?!"

"That's right, Ryushi! Therefore, Rokuro here won't be attending university." Ichiro confirmed as he crossed his arms. "All because of his utter incompetence..."

"Don't say that, father!" scolded Ryushi, repeating what his mother's action.

"Absolutely not! That's exactly what this boy needs to hear!" retorted Ichiro before turning back to Rokuro. "You've always been a disappointment, Rokuro, but this is the end of the line! Compare yourself to your brother here! Unlike you, this _gentleman_ actually takes his life seriously and works hard to achieve his goals! Unlike you, he is intelligent, has the willpower and knows what it means to be successful!"

Ichiro's barrage of insults continued to shatter Rokuro's already fragile self-esteem.

"But what about you?! You are nothing but a delinquent who will never amount to anything in life! You are and always will be a miserable failure! But none of this is surprising, is it?! If anything, I should've expected all of this ever since I witnessed your decline! That way, I wouldn't have bothered wasting all my time and money on investing you!"

What made all of this especially painful for Rokuro was the fact that his father was right. Compared to his brother, Rokuro was nothing. Once again, Ryushi excelled in everything that he failed at. As for what Rokuro excelled in, there was none...

"Father, that's enough! I didn't come here to witness you berate him like this!" spoke up Ryushi before facing his brother. "Don't listen to him, Rokuro! He's wrong!"

"Nonsense, Ryushi! Just look at that boy's eyes!" Ichiro retorted as he pointed his finger at Rokuro. "It's a look of submission! He knows everything I'm saying is truth! What good has he possibly brought to this family?! He's nothing but a burden!"

Rokuro finally had it. Again, he was no stranger to his father's tactics but this was the final straw. He was tired of all of this bullshit. All of it! No longer was he going to take it up the ass like he has been. Whatever Rokuro was about to do next was probably going to bring dire consequences. But at this point, he didn't care anymore. His father already appeared to have given up on him. And so did Rokuro.

"In that case, father, what the hell have you done?!" Rokuro gave out a snarl, pausing everyone in the room.

"W-What did you just say?!" Ichiro widened his eyes, too shocked to speak clearly. Everyone was stunned from Rokuro's sudden act of insolence.

"If I'm such a miserable failure, father, then so are you!" challenged Rokuro, undeterred by his father's fuming expression.

"How dare you speak to me like that?!" shouted back Ichiro.

"Think about it! You are the one who raised me so aren't you, as the parent, responsible for my failures?! You could've done something about it to fix it but no, you just had to kick me down like some mutt! You are not a father! Instead, you are nothing but a narcissistic prick who's too much of a coward to admit any of his wrongs!"

"Rokuro!" interrupted his mother, covering her mouth from shock.

Meanwhile, a bewildered Ichiro glared back at Rokuro, his hands shaking from overwhelming rage.

"What the hell did you just call me..." snarled Ichiro.

"You are nothing but a _narcissistic prick._" Rokuro growled back.

Suddenly, Ichiro stood up from his seat before grabbing Rokuro by his collars. Forcing him up from his seat, Ichiro suddenly struck Rokuro's face with a backhanded slap, causing him to fall to the floor.

"Ichiro!" yelled Mariko.

"Father!" yelled Ryushi.

"You fucking insolent child! How fucking dare you?!" Ichiro screamed out his lungs.

Rokuro lied on the floor, covering his face while hissing in pain.

"Get out!" Ichiro pointed at the front door. "Don't ever come back to this house again, _you fucking dog_! YOU ARE NO LONGER MY SON!"

The last sentence made the room turn cold as ice. Rokuro looked up to see his father towering over him with his fists curled, gasping violently in anger. Normally, Rokuro would've silently submitted in such situation. However, Rokuro continued to glare back his father with a look of defiance. He had nothing to lose. After all, he was no longer Ichiro's son. Likewise, Rokuro no longer viewed Ichiro as his father...

"You want me gone?_ I'm fucking gone_." Rokuro stated plainly before standing up.

Slowly, Rokuro stood up before disappearing into the hallway. Meanwhile, Ryushi and his mother continued to stare at his direction, still dumbstruck. After hearing the sounds of the front door opening and closing, Ichiro gave out a smirk.

"Thank the heavens..." muttered Ichiro.

Upon hearing those words, Ryushi gave his father a hard glare, gritting his teeth.

"FATHER! What on earth have you done?! That was completely uncalled for!" berated Ryushi.

"Don't worry, Ryushi! If anything, this is a blessing!" Ichiro smiled.

Ryushi could not believe the what he just heard. A _blessing_? The old man just kicked out his own son and he considered it a _blessing_? Ryushi was now beginning to believe his father was a sociopath.

"Do you even hear yourself, father?!" yelled Ryushi. "Just look at what you've done! Rokuro was right! For all these years, you've done nothing but treat him like dirt! As if that wasn't enough, you now disown him and kick him out of the house?! What kind of a sick joke is this?!"

"Don't tell me you're feeling sympathetic for that little shit!" growled Ichiro.

That did for Ryushi. His brother was right. Their father was an absolute piece of shit...

"I'm going after Rokuro." stated Ryushi firmly, causing Ichiro's eyes to widen.

"What?!"

"If you won't care for Rokuro, I will!" replied Ryushi as he grabbed his coat.

"Stop! If you bring him back then _neither_ of you are welcome in the house again!" threatened Ichiro.

"You're not going to kick me out either, father." pointed out Ryushi, calling his father's bluff. "I'm too valuable for your image to simply toss away, aren't I? Unless saving face is no longer a concern for you, your threats are idle..."

Ichiro gritted his teeth in frustration before suddenly kicking the coffee table.

"Come back here, boy!" demanded Ichiro.

Ryushi ignored him and slipped into his boots before heading out of the house. As he disappeared into the streets, Ichiro and Mariko stood still in silence.

* * *

Despite almost an hour of searching downtown, Ryushi could not find his brother anywhere. He checked every park, bar, café, library and arcade. Hell, he even checked out the _love hotels_, asking the receptionist if a high school aged male walked in. Though Ryushi knew Rokuro wasn't that type of person. Nevertheless, there were no signs of him anywhere and Ryushi was genuinely beginning to get worried. Fearing the worst, Ryushi contemplated calling the police. However, he suddenly remembered one location he hasn't checked yet: The _Blue Bridge_, which crossed the Tokyo Bay. The bridge was notorious for frequent suicides and the very thought of Rokuro being there put Ryushi on edge. Still, there was only one way to find out.

Ryushi's adrenaline kicked in and he sprinted as fast as he could towards the bridge. Fortunately, he wasn't too far and within ten minutes, Ryushi arrived at the bridge entrance. At the middle of the bridge stood Rokuro, who appeared to be smoking. Ryushi gave out a huge sigh of relief, glad to see his brother was well. At the same time, seeing Rokuro smoking also greatly disappointed him. Considering the situation at hand, however, Ryushi couldn't blame him. Slowly, Ryushi stepped on the bridge, cautiously walking towards his Rokuro.

"Rokuro..." spoke Ryushi as he approached him.

Meanwhile, Rokuro didn't even acknowledge him, continuing to stare into the river.

"How are you doing, little brother?" asked Ryushi, leaning on the rails next to Rokuro.

"What do you think?" responded Rokuro with annoyance, his voice muffled from the cigarette in his mouth.

Ryushi shook his head as he gave out a sigh before setting his hand on Rokuro's shoulder.

"I'm sorry about what happened..."

"What the hell are you sorry for? This is all my doing..." dismissed Rokuro. "What are you doing here anyways? You shouldn't have come."

"I came for you, Rokuro. Why else would I be here?" Ryushi asked rhetorically.

"No, you came to bring me back home. Well, forget it. Didn't you hear what father said? I'm no longer welcome in the house..." retorted Rokuro before throwing his cigarette into the river.

"You know father didn't actually mean that..." assured Ryushi.

For some reason, Ryushi's statement only served to suddenly enrage Rokuro.

"Don't you fucking get it, Ryushi?!" Rokuro raised his voice, slamming his foot on the ground. "My entire life was on the line during that cursed exam and I fucked it all up! It's over! I'm done with all of this shit!"

_'I'm done with all of this shit?' _Ryushi mentally repeated that sentence, raising his eyebrows.

"Done with what, Rokuro?" asked Ryushi, tensing up.

Rokuro stood silent before he slowly grabbed the rails.

"I'm sorry, Ryushi... **Goodbye**." muttered Rokuro before suddenly lunging over the rails.

"**ROKURO, NO!**" shrieked Ryushi.

With quick reflexes, Ryushi instantly grabbed Rokuro by his waist, _barely_ managing to pull him back. As both brothers crashed onto the ground, Ryushi quickly restrained Rokuro by putting him on a chokehold with his right arm. He then quickly grabbed Rokuro's abdomen with his left arm and locked his legs together with Rokuro's, rendering him immobile. If Ryushi was late by a mere second, both would've fell into the freezing waters.

"Let go of me!" demanded Rokuro, desperately struggling to free himself from Ryushi's grasp.

"What the fuck are you doing, Rokuro?!" Ryushi shouted, his eyes widened in shock.

"Releasing everyone from a fucking burden!" shouted back Rokuro.

"What burden?!"

"ME!" cried Rokuro.

"What?!"

"Stop deluding yourself, Ryushi!"

Rokuro suddenly began shedding tears, ceasing his struggle.

"Just fucking look at me! A stupid kid failing to live up to anything in this god-forsaken life! Meanwhile everyone around me is going off succeeding left and right! Achieving success I will never see the light of! Every time mother and father look at me, I can see from their eyes how painfully ashamed they are from what I've become... Father was correct, Ryushi... Everything I ever do is nothing but a disappointment! My life has been nothing but a fucking failure! I'm a failed student, a failed son and a failed human being! So what fucking use am I to this damned world?! Again, I'm nothing but a useless _burden_! A burden to you, mother, father and everyone else!"

Rokuro began breaking down, letting the warm tears slide down his face. Meanwhile, Ryushi remained utterly speechless.

"At this point, I'm done living... Unlike you, I have no future. So what use is there for me to continue? So the _very_ _least_ I can do is to pull my own plug... Spare you and everyone else from that burden... Because that's all I CAN do..."

Soon, Rokuro broke down completely, letting his hands fall to the floor as he sobbed loudly.

Ryushi couldn't believe it. Not the words that were coming out of Rokuro's mouth, but the fact that his brother had the actual nerve to commit suicide, _in front of him too. _As saddened and sympathetic Ryushi felt, he was also monumentally furious at Rokuro for daring to attempt such a thing. It was time to put some sense into that kid.

"Are you even listening to yourself, Rokuro?!" Ryushi shouted into Rokuro's ears. "Out of all the reasons for killing yourself, this is what you come up with?!"

"You arrogant self-righteous prick!" retorted Rokuro with a bewildered voice.

Once again, any sense of sorrow temporarily disappeared within Rokuro, quickly being replaced with anger.

"Who are you to decide whether someone can end his own life or not?! What the hell do you know about the shit I've been through?! You've never experienced any of the crap I've had! You think I fucking WANT to do this?! You don't think I tried every option to get myself out of this mess?! Well guess what?! All of it ended in miserable failure! So what's the fucking point anymore?! I'm done living this miserable life because there's nothing left for me! I HAVE NOTHING LEFT TO LIVE FOR!"

"YOU GODDAMN IDIOT! YES YOU DO!" cried Ryushi.

Rokuro paused, raising his eyebrow. Meanwhile, this time tears began forming in Ryushi's eyes.

"ME! I'm your brother, Rokuro! The very person who's been by your side since the beginning! The very person who stood up for you when everyone else turned their backs on you! The brother who loves you no matter what! And now, you want to push all of that away?! Are you really that _selfish_?!"

"Selfish?!" questioned Rokuro.

"Yes! If you died, what am I supposed to do then?! Where does that leave me?! You may think committing suicide would end your pain! But by doing so, you spread that pain to everyone that ever cared for you, including me! And I would never be able to live with that pain. Yet you have the nerves to call yourself a _burden_?! Well you're wrong, Rokuro! You're not a burden because I LOVE YOU!"

It was Ryushi's turn to break down as tears began streaming down his face.

"All those times we spent together, Rokuro... All those fishing trips we took out the sea when we were young boys... All those late night pranks we pulled on our neighbors when we were teens... All those karaoke and disco nights we had every Friday... All those road trips we took up north... Did all of this mean nothing to you, Rokuro? Do _I_ mean nothing to you, Rokuro?!"

Ryushi paused as he began to sob, struggling to finish his words

"Well you mean _everything_ to me! If you're gone, who else am I going to share my life experiences with?! Nobody! Because there's no one else I'd rather share them with! Nobody but YOU, ROKURO!"

Suddenly, Rokuro's past life began to flash by in an instant. The one fishing trip where he and Ryushi caught a Blue Fin Tuna together... The time they ding dong ditched one of their grumpy neighbors, Kido-san... The one night where they sang Micheal Jackson songs at a karaoke bar until dawn... The time when Ryushi took Rokuro to a five-star ski resort in Hokkaido... That was the best vacation Rokuro ever had... All those moments meant everything to him and Rokuro always looked forward to share more experiences like these in the future. Had he jumped into the river, Rokuro would've cast away all of this. And for what? Just because he failed to pass an EXAM?

"Please, don't leave me, Rokuro..." wept Ryushi. "Don't leave me..."

Rokuro's eyes suddenly began to widen, slowly coming to realize how truly pathetic his actions were. Killing himself over an exam... The very idea of it sounded so asinine, and he came very close to doing exactly that... Fortunately, it was a close call and Rokuro was glad his plan was foiled. Foiled by his loving brother...

"Oh my god..." Rokuro's voice began to shake. "Oh my god, what am I doing... What the fuck did I just do..."

"Please, Rokuro..." whispered Ryushi in tears.

Rokuro then grabbed Ryushi's hands, attempting to sooth his older brother.

"R-Ryushi, I-I'm so s-sorry..." apologized Rokuro with stutters. "What the hell was I thinking..."

"Yeah..." agreed Ryushi, sniffing. "Just what the hell WERE you thinking..."

Silence ensued until Ryushi slowly but cautiously released Rokuro from his chokehold. As Ryushi stood up, he could see the frozen tears marks on Rokuro's face. Meanwhile, Rokuro remained on the ground, staring up into the night sky, allowing the snow to fall into his face. Ryushi then leaned forward and extended a hand to Rokuro.

"Come on, Rokuro... Get up..."

Rokuro gave out a deep sigh before grabbing Ryushi's hand, bringing himself up.

"I-I'm so sorry, Ryushi..." Rokuro frantically repeated his apology. "I don't know what the hell I was think-"

Ryushi interrupted Rokuro as he immediately embraced him with his arms, seemingly breaking down once more.

"Rokuro, don't ever do that again! Please! My god, you scared me to death!" pleaded Ryushi through his sniffs.

"I'm so sorry, Ryushi..." Rokuro apologized for the third time as he returned the embrace.

The two brothers then released each other before wiping away their tears.

"Let's get off this bridge, Rokuro..."

"Agreed..."

"Excuse me!" called out a voice from behind.

Ryushi and Rokuro turned around to see two police offers approaching them, pointing flashlights at their faces.

"What's going on here?" asked one of the officers.

"Officers?" Ryushi raised an eyebrow.

"We received reports of screaming on this bridge." clarified the officer. "Is everything alright here?"

"We um..." Ryushi attempted to answer before being cut off by Rokuro.

"No, officers." answered Rokuro with a sniff. "It was all just a misunderstanding..."

The police officers still didn't appear convinced, however.

"Are you sure everything is alright?" asked the other officer.

"Yes, officers, thank you." assured Ryushi with a light bow.

The police officers continue to eye both brothers, causing them to become anxious. Both then looked at each other before nodding.

"Very well then... You gentlemen have a safe evening. Please be careful out here, okay?"

"Thank you, officers. Have a good evening." replied the brothers in unison.

As the police officers went on their way, Ryushi and Rokuro stepped off the bridge, finally on land. Suddenly, Ryushi grabbed Rokuro by the shoulders before looking him in the eye.

"Rokuro, I'm sorry for all of this. I should've been there for you but stupidly, I was too neglectful... Had I known about all of this... Everything that you just told me, this wouldn't have happened..."

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Ryushi. I'm responsible for my own actions. I brought all of this to myself..."

"No! You did not!" Ryushi tightened his grip. "You didn't ask for any of this! The rat race, academic overpressure, and all the other crap that's driving every Japanese child insane nowadays! You and everyone else were born into this mess and didn't have any choice in the matter! And I couldn't agree with you more when you say that all of this is absolute bullshit! Lastly, you did NOT deserve to be treated the way you were by our father! And you absolutely did NOT bring that upon yourself! But my god, Rokuro, none of this is something to end your own life over! Understand?!"

"I know... Again, I'm terribly sorry... I wasn't being myself..."

Ryushi couldn't help but embrace Rokuro again, tightening his arms around him. "Please, just don't ever do such a thing again!" Ryushi repeated his plead for the second time. "Don't even _think_ about doing it!"

"I promise, Ryushi." reaffirmed Rokuro, returning the embrace. "I promise."

"Thank you, Rokuro." replied Ryushi as he let go.

"One issue does remain though..." said Rokuro, looking down.

"What is it?"

"If you haven't forgotten yet, I did fail the university entrance exam... Since university is not an option for me anymore, just what the hell am I going to do now?"

"You can take the exam more than once, Rokuro..." pointed out Ryushi.

"What? But I thought..."

"You can take it as many times as you want, though it's ideal that you pass it the first time. Regardless, I will help you pass the second time. Forget the tutors and cram schools you've been relying on. Clearly, that hasn't worked out for you. Instead, you and I will work together to fully prep you for the next exam. You and I WILL fight through all of this and see the end of it! I promise you that!"

Rokuro quiet gave nod in response, giving out a light smile as well.

"But that's a matter to discuss for another time." Ryushi brushed it off before wrapping a hand around Rokuro's shoulders. "Let's just go home, Rokuro. Come on."

"I'm not going back to our house." refused Rokuro. "I don't want to see that old man's face... Not for a while."

"I know..." Ryushi gave a nod. "That's not where I meant..."

"Then where?" asked Rokuro, confused.

"To my apartment in downtown, of course." clarified Ryushi.

"Oh... Okay." Rokuro shrugged.

"Come on, let's go, little brother..." Ryushi pulled Rokuro towards him before heading off.

"What a fucked up day this was..." commented Rokuro.

"No shit..." agreed Ryushi.

* * *

Hours have passed and it was already five in the morning. While Rokuro dozed off on his floor mat, Ryushi sat on his bed, completely awake. Considering what happened earlier, it was a real challenge for him to fall asleep. In fact, after the idiotic stunt Rokuro tried to pull, Ryushi couldn't trust him to leave his sight. As unlikely as this was, Rokuro could've very well snuck out while Ryushi was sleeping and attempt it for the second time. Still, Rokuro taking his own life was the last thing Ryushi expected to happen and at this point, anything was a possibility. And one could never be too paranoid about it, especially when it came to the family they loved.

As Ryushi silently observed his sleeping brother, he still couldn't fathom of everything that just occurred. Although he was still pissed at Rokuro, Ryushi couldn't bring himself to not sympathize with him. Still, he never expected this to happen and was caught by complete surprise. He knew Rokuro was struggling but didn't know the situation was this bad. Ryushi could only wonder what could've possibly tormented his little brother so much that he sought suicide as an option. In hindsight, Ryushi should've been more cautious and he scolded himself for it. His thoughts began to be clouded with regrets, constantly trying to figure out how he could've done better. Perhaps he could've prevented this fiasco in the first place... As much as he wanted to take all the responsibility, however, Ryushi couldn't help but place blame at their father as well. In fact, he was overwhelmingly enraged at him. Instead of guiding and positively encouraging his own son, the old man belittled and mocked him. Admittedly, Ryushi thought early on that this was okay, believing it to be a form of _tough love_. However, as time went on, it became clear that their father was doing it not out of love, but to loath Rokuro and fuel his own narcissism. Yesterday's ordeal only served to confirm this theory, especially when he _thanked the heavens _when Rokuro left the house. The next time Ryushi saw his father, he was going to rip him a new one. But for now, caring for his little brother was top priority and Ryushi continued keeping Rokuro under his watchful eye...

* * *

**A/N:**

**This chapter ended up becoming a lot longer than I thought it would be. I wanted to split this into two chapters but didn't know where was the right cut-off point. Therefore, I decided to just post this as whole. Regardless, I'm satisfied with how this turned out.**

**Also, I really debated whether or not to include the topic of suicide in this chapter. In the end, I decided to go for it anyways because it does fit the setting. We know in canon that Rock was treated like crap back in Japan, as well as failing to pass the college entrance exam the first time. But I took the liberty to amplify it, making his previous life experience in Japan so rough that it drove him to attempt suicide.  
****Furthermore, in case some of you think it's too far fetched for Rock to kill himself over not passing the exam, it's actually not. In countries like Japan and South Korea, the level of academic pressure imposed on the youth is so intense and competition is pretty fierce. For a lot of these youths, their entire future (quite literally) depends on their grades, college entrance exam scores and what college they go to. Therefore, if they fall short on any of their expectations, they really don't have a lot of chances/opportunities in life. If that wasn't enough, the immense workload alone is enough to drive students insane. For example, in Korea, students spend more time studying in after-school learning centers or with tutors than their actual school itself.  
This is why suicides among youths are so common in both countries. Because once they mess up, it's all over and since they have nothing else to lose, they end up just taking their own lives, seeing as there's no point of continuing further. ****It's a sad reality, unfortunately...****  
****Therefore, it's not unrealistic at all for Rock to do what he did in this chapter.****  
****The good news, however, is that there is now awareness of this issue in both countries and both governments are actively trying to fix this mess. For example, it is now law in South Korea for cram schools to close before 10:00 PM. (Which is still too late for my personal opinion but it's a good start) But there's still much more work that needs to be done. **

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter, as well as the lecture at the end. Let me know how you thought of the drama. I'm still not quite versed on writing drama but I'm trying my best.**

**Lastly, I won't update this story until after Christmas. I have other obligations to focus on and of course, the Holidays are about being with family. Therefore, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you!**

**Please review! Thank you!**


	4. Koi No Disco Kings

**A/N:**

**Before you proceed to this chapter, I suggest you watch a video called "**_**Yakuza 0 - Koi no Disco Queen (with Nishiki)" **_**on YouTube (FanFiction doesn't allow links, unfortunately). It's very much relevant to this chapter, especially the later portion when Rock and Ryushi begin dancing.**

**Anyways, enjoy the reading!**

* * *

**Year: 1991 (3 years later)**

**Location: Osaka, Japan**

Rokuro sat alone on a bar chair with a beer in his hand, listening to other patrons singing on the karaoke machine. Since the final exams just ended last night, the bar was filled with college students blowing off all the stress they accumulated over the semester. At one corner was a group of boys, drunkenly jabbing at each other like middle schoolers. Meanwhile, next to him were couples casually making out, much to the bartender's disdain. Regardless, Rokuro savored the moment because it was a rarity for him to drink alone in peace. Since he entered college, Rokuro was frequently forced to drink with upperclassmen, often chugging down hard liquor by their orders. He'd always wake up with a painful headache the next morning, making concentration in classes next to impossible. Fortunately, since Rokuro was now done with his second year, he was now an upperclassman himself. Therefore, he was finally done with putting up with that bullshit. Rokuro took another sip from his beer and sat back, relaxed and letting the buzz kick in.

Since passing his college entrance exam, Rokuro miraculously managed to get accepted to Osaka City University, one of the higher-ranking colleges around Japan. Though due to him failing the exam the first time, Rokuro couldn't attend the college immediately after graduating high school, thus forcing him into a gap year. Regardless, he didn't end up working some minimum wage job like he thought he would. Now, he was on his way to graduating with a degree in economics. Rokuro owed Ryushi for all of that. In fact, he owed Ryushi for a lot of things, not just for helping him pass that exam. His brother was perhaps the only person in the entire world that genuinely cared for him; The only person to go out of his way to ensure Rokuro was doing okay. In fact, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that Ryushi pretty much saved Rokuro's life. Without him, Rokuro could only wonder where he would be today. But even Ryushi had his limits since he had other obligations to meet as he entered the professional world. Still, what little care Ryushi could give to Rokuro these days was infinitely better than whatever the rest of his family ever did for him... Or rather _didn't _do for him...

Rokuro stopped seeing his extended family since he was a child but because he was never close to them, he didn't mind that. However, his parents were a different matter. They were his own_ parents_, yet ever since that showdown with his father, Rokuro questioned whether it was even appropriate to call them that. Rokuro could tell that his parents, especially his father, gave up entirely on his potentials and no longer cared for what happened to him. Even when he received news of getting accepted into Osaka City University, his father didn't even acknowledge it. His entire life, Rokuro just wanted to make his family proud. Since that was an eternally lost cause, however, Rokuro wondered if all of his efforts were in vain. Everything Rokuro did that led him to his current position was done to please others, not because _he _genuinely wanted it. And since his parents were apathetic about him, what was the point of anything now? If Rokuro had complete freedom to choose his life direction, with no strings attached, what would he have done instead? Having lived his entire life people-pleasing, Rokuro struggled to find an answer to that question. In fact, he wondered if people-pleasing was the only thing he could ever do. That was perhaps what differentiated Rokuro from his brother. It wasn't his academic aptitude or the black belt in karate that made Ryushi stand out. What truly distinguished Ryushi from Rokuro was that he never took shit from anybody. As caring and compassionate as he was, Ryushi was also extremely assertive and ballsy. He had a tendency to stand up to his superiors, which wasn't very _J__apanese _of him. Still, perhaps that was why Ryushi was so successful and universally admired by those around him. Meanwhile, Rokuro could never reach a fraction of Ryushi's potentials and thus, frequently envied his brother.

The front door opened, revealing a well-dressed man walking in. Some of the women even stopped their conversations to face him, ogling at the handsome gentleman.

"Oi, Roku!" called out the man.

As Rokuro faced around, he gave out a light smile from seeing who it was.

_'Speak of the Devil...'_

Ryushi, dressed in his sharp business suit, walked over to the bar counter before opening up his arms. It's been months since Rokuro last saw his brother, who's certainly developed a more professional appearance.

"Hey, bro." greeted back Rokuro as he stood up.

"How're you doing, little brother? " smiled Ryushi as he embraced Rokuro. "It's been a while!"

"Yeah, it has." smiled back Rokuro before directing Ryushi to his seat. "Come on, sit."

"Bartender, jack on the rocks, please!" ordered Ryushi before sitting down. "Oof, it's freezing out there..."

"Hmph, it's about time you showed up, Ryushi." Rokuro smirked. "What took you so long?"

"One of the tram tracks go shut down due to malfunctions. So I had to wait out for the next car..."

The bartender finally set down the glass before pouring a generous volume of whiskey.

"Arigato." thanked Ryushi, earning a bow from from the bartender. He then turned to see Rokuro's beverage, giving him an incredulous look. "What the hell are you drinking, Rokuro?"

Rokuro examined his mug before replying, "Umm, _Sapporo_?"

"You're finally finished with exams and you're drinking _beer_? I'm disappointed, Rokuro..." Ryushi shook his head.

"What's wrong with beer?" Rokuro retorted defensively.

"A real man drinks whiskey, Rokuro." Ryushi smirked before waving at the bartender. "Bartender! Another one for my brother here!"

"Hai!" bowed the bartender and got to work.

Rokuro gave Ryushi a stern look, causing the latter to snicker in amusement.

"What? Don't be such a pussy, Rokuro. It's my treat anyways." smiled Ryushi, giving Rokuro a playful punch.

"Hmph..."

"Anyways... How's life?" Ryushi began as he shifted his seat around to face Rokuro. "How're you liking Osaka by the way?"

"I like it a lot, actually." smiled Rokuro. "It's a lot less hectic than Tokyo for sure."

"Oh yeah, definitely. I swear Tokyo drives me nuts sometimes..." agreed Ryushi.

"Ha, no shit..."

"Are your studies going well, by the way?"

"It's doing fine, I guess..." replied Rokuro, looking down.

Ryushi could instantly tell that the truth was otherwise. Still, he didn't want to shove the issue up his face when they just met so he let it slide. For now...

Finally, the bartender set down Rokuro's whiskey before bowing once again.

"Ah ha, there it is!" grinned Ryushi before sliding the glass to Rokuro's hands. "Come on, drink up!"

Rokuro sighed and set down his beer before picking up his glass. He swore he'd stay away from hard liquor for a while...

"So, what shall we drink to?" asked Ryushi as he picked up his glass.

"Hmm..." Rokuro contemplated as he scratched his chin.

"Oh, I got one! To a prosperous future for our family!" smiled Ryushi as he raised up his glass.

"To everlasting happiness..." added Rokuro as he raised his as well.

Both brothers downed their whiskey, with Rokuro surprisingly finishing up first.

"Wow, so you _are _a man after all, Rokuro..." teased Ryushi, giving his brother another playful punch. "Since when are you able to chug down liquor like that?"

"Hehe." snickered Rokuro amusingly before slightly frowning. "There are certain things I was forced to do that I'd rather not discuss..."

Ryushi then chuckled, knowing exactly what Rokuro was implying. "Let me guess, you got it rough from those upperclassmen, huh?"

"Damn right you are..." sighed Rokuro.

"Well at least you're a third-year now. You no longer have to put up with that bullshit." Ryushi smiled.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking..." replied Rokuro in relief.

"It's okay, little brother, I had to go through it too. We all did." assured Ryushi, patting Rokuro's back. "In fact, I remember when I was forced to finish an entire 750 mL bottle of rum under five minutes..."

Rokuro choked up on his drink, trying his best to hold his laughter.

"And that wasn't even the worst thing I've done." smiled Ryushi.

"Okay, never mind. You've had it worse." smiled back Rokuro, earning a laugh from Ryushi.

Rokuro had no problem finishing a 750 mL but doing it under five minutes? He would probably pass out half-way through...

"Okay, enough about me. What about you, Ryushi? How's life for you after college?"

"I'm glad you asked!" Ryushi clasped his hands excitingly.

Rokuro raised his eyebrows, curious of what was to be revealed. Whatever it was, Ryushi's excitement showed it was something big. Perhaps he got a position in one of the big tech giants? Or a high-ranking government job? Or perhaps he's attending graduate school instead?

"I... Am going abroad!" grinned Ryushi.

Rokuro almost spit out his drink and began coughing.

"What?!" Rokuro exclaimed, widening his eyes.

"You heard me." Ryushi continued grinningly joyfully.

"What for?"

"I was looking for some positions in the Foreign Affairs Ministry and they recommended me to apply for _Foreign Service Officer_. And I got accepted!"

"Holy shit..." Rokuro's jaws dropped.

"I know! And guess where I'm going?!"

"Uh, I don't know... America?"

"Nope! I'm going to Germany!"

"No way..."

"Yup! I'll be stationed in Berlin!"

Rokuro had no words to express how happy he was for him. He remembered the last time he went to Berlin during his semester-long study abroad there. And he loved every moment of it: the food, the entertainment, the lax lifestyle and definitely their beer. He sincerely hoped to visit that city and the country again. And now hearing his brother was going to be working there, Rokuro would do anything switch places with him.

"Fuck, bro... I'm so jealous now." Rokuro shook his head. "Take me with you man!"

"Oh you're welcome to visit anytime, little brother!" Ryushi grinned as he pat Rokuro's head. "After listening to how much you enjoyed it over there, it's about time I visit that country for myself."

"Thanks, bro. But damn, congratulations!" Rokuro raised his glass.

"Likewise, little brother." thanked Ryushi before waving at the bartender once again. "Hey, another for both of us, please!"

"While you got your life figured out, Ryushi, I haven't the slightest clue of what I'll do after college..." Rokuro shrugged as the bartender poured more into his glass.

"Don't be such a downer, Rokuro. You'll figure something out. Besides, your credentials as an OCU graduate is enough to get you somewhere."

"I know but that's not all..." Rokuro suddenly faced down the floor.

"Then what is it?" Ryushi raised an eyebrow.

Rokuro, however, refused to answer and stayed quiet.

"Come on, Rokuro. What is it?" pushed Ryushi.

Rokuro gave out a sigh before looking up again.

"You see... I'm... I'm not doing so well right now, especially this semester."

"How so?"

"I took some pretty difficult classes and I'm not too confident about the scores of my final exams..."

Ryushi suddenly rolled his eyes before shaking his head.

"Really, Roku? That's what you're concerned about? You do realize most companies don't even look at your grades when you submit your resume."

"I know, but I still wanna stand out from others..."

"You worry too much, Rokuro. Unless you're failing your classes, there isn't much to fret about." explained Ryushi before suddenly eyeing Rokuro. "You didn't fail any classes, right?"

"No! Of course not! Again, I'm just..."

"Then stop worrying! You're doing fine!" assured Ryushi as he pat Rokuro's back. "Though don't let yourself go too much."

"Yeah, maybe you're right..." Rokuro gave out a light smile before sipping his whiskey.

"And if you ever need help, Rokuro, don't ever hesitate to ask."

"Thanks, but I'll be fine." dismissed Rokuro.

Ryushi then leaned over before wrapping an arm around Rokuro.

"Rokuro, you don't have to do everything alone. There's no shame in accepting help. And I'll always be there for you no matter what."

"You can't keep carrying me forever, Ryushi." pointed out Rokuro. "Someday, I'm gonna have to make things for myself and you _won't_ be there either, especially since you have your own life to live now."

"That may be true, Rokuro, but remember that we're brothers. And as your brother, I will do my best to ensure that you succeed. Besides, _mother _and_ father_ would hate to see you suffer through your hardships alone."

Rokuro's expression suddenly stiffened upon the mention of his parents. Ryushi, realizing what he just did, mentally kicked himself.

_Shit..._

Ryushi was well aware of Rokuro's contentious relationship with their parents. Ever since that _particular incident _(one which Ryushi preferred to completely wipe from his memory), neither side could move on it. The animosity between Rokuro and their father still remained strong and all attempts by Ryushi to reconcile the two ended in failure. Ryushi began to wonder when Rokuro even last saw their parents.

"Rokuro..." began Ryushi.

"Yes?"

"Have you talked to mother and father recently?" Ryushi asked cautiously.

As expected, Rokuro didn't respond to the question. He remained silent, staring down into his glass.

Ryushi perfectly understood Rokuro's reluctance to meet them. Still, it pained him to see his brother suffer through such isolation.

"I... I've spoke to mother about two months ago over the phone..." Rokuro suddenly answered.

Ryushi was caught off by surprise from the answer. Nevertheless, it put a smile on his face.

"Well that's great!" Ryushi's face lit up. "And what about father?"

"Do I need to answer that?" retorted Rokuro with a hint of growl in his voice.

Ryushi frowned once more as his hope was instantly deflated. Still, he wasn't surprised at all. He could see Rokuro eventually reconciling with his mother. Their father, on the other hand, appeared to be a lost cause. Not wanting to dwell further into this issue, Ryushi attempted to quickly wrap it up.

"Rokuro, I'm not going to say much more about this. I imagine you probably don't want to talk about this either..."

"You don't say..." huffed Rokuro.

"But, I just want to remind you that mother and father still care about you very much. Father in particular may be harsh but he does genuinely care about you. He still asks me on how you're doing and he does pay for your education after all."

"You think he cares about my well being just because he pays for my tuitions?!" Rokuro raised his voice, startling the bartender and others near him.

"Rokuro, keep your voice down!" hissed Ryushi.

"When will you stop deceiving yourself, Ryushi? Father has essentially disowned me! Just admit it! If he really cared for me then he would talk to me in person, wouldn't he?!"

Ryushi desperately wanted to scold Rokuro for daring to say such things. But before he opened his mouth, it suddenly dawned on him. Perhaps Rokuro did have a point. It was pretty selfish for Ryushi to ask Rokuro to view their father the same way he himself did, especially when their father treated Rokuro drastically differently from himself. Though Ryushi was no stranger to their father's hard and brash personality, he never had to endure the extremely cruel treatment Rokuro received. After all, it did push Rokuro to attempting to taking his own life...

Suddenly, the memories of that night on the bridge came flooding back and Ryushi quickly shook away those thoughts.

"Maybe you're right..." spoke Ryushi, causing Rokuro to face him. "The way father's been treating you is utterly wrong and I'll never know what it's like because I was never treated that way. And I'm sorry for trying to force you to view him under the same light as I do..."

"Don't apologize, it's not your fault..." brushed off Rokuro.

"I promise I'll stop from now on. But I do want you to at least do one thing."

"What is that?" Rokuro raised an eyebrow.

"I want you to at least begin reconciling with mother again." requested Ryushi. "She's visiting Osaka in a month and I'd like you to join us."

Rokuro shuffled for a moment, seemingly conflicted.

"Please, Rokuro..." Ryushi pleaded. "I hate to see our family being like this. At the very least, the three of us can begin to heal together. What do you say?"

Once again, Rokuro remained silent. It irritated Ryushi to no end every time he did this. But in this case, Ryushi wasn't asking for such a small favor...

"Rokuro?"

"Fine..." replied Rokuro.

"Really?" Ryushi's face lit up.

"Yeah... I supposed it won't hurt." Rokuro gave out a sigh before smiling. "You gotta take baby steps after all."

Ryushi smiled and gave his brother a warm hug. "Thank you, little brother."

"You're welcome." smiled back Rokuro.

Ryushi then finished his glass before slamming it down with an excited grin.

"Well then, that's enough serious talk for one night! What do you say we go wild on the disco floor like the old days?" Ryushi proposed excitingly. "C'mon! What do you say, Rokuro?"

Rokuro chuckled in amusement before setting down his glass and getting up from his seat. "Let's do this, bro."

Ryushi smiled in excitement and got up from his seat. "Outta boy, Roku!"

After Ryushi paid the tab, the two brothers walked over to the jukebox, where they inserted coins before deciding what music they were going to dance off to.

"So, what shall we dance to, Ryushi?" asked Rokuro.

"Nothing too crazy at the moment. I haven't done this in a while..."

"Neither have I." Rokuro shrugged.

"Hmm... How about _Billie Jean_?" suggested Ryushi.

"You know, I was just about to say the same thing." grinned Rokuro.

"Then, it's decided! Let's do this!" grinned back Ryushi and pressed the button.

As the began music blaring, everyone in the bar turned to see the two brothers walk up to the dance floor. After stretching out their limbs, Ryushi and Rokuro prepared themselves for their show of force. Before they could start, however, the bartender came forward with two fedora hats in his hands.

"Wait, you two forgot this!" smiled the bartender as he threw over the hats.

"Arigato!" thanked both brothers in unison as they caught their hats.

Having no more time to waste, the two brothers put on their fedora hats before striking themselves in Michael Jackson's signature posture, waving one hand over their crotches while snapping the fingers on their other hand behind.

"Let's make this interesting, Rokuro. This is now a competition and whoever wins has to pay for the night." challenged Ryushi with a grin.

"Oh you sly dog..." Rokuro shook his head with a smile. "Have at it, _you_ _old fart_..."

"Ha! I'm about to put your dancing skills to shame!" smirked Ryushi.

As the music tempo picked up, both began their leg moves, sliding their feet impeccably along the floor before snapping their hands around just like the King of Pop. Already, some of patrons began cheering and clapping upon seeing the impressive performance.

_...She was more like a beauty queen from a movie scene_  
_I said don't mind, but what do you mean, I am the one_  
_Who will dance on the floor in the round_  
_She said I am the one, who will dance on the floor in the round..._

"Hmph... Not a bad start, Roku..." smirked Ryushi.

"You haven't seen nothing yet..." replied Rokuro with a wink.

_...She told me her name was Billie Jean, as she caused a scene_  
_Then every head turned with eyes that dreamed of being the one_  
_Who will dance on the floor in the round..._

Both suddenly threw away their fedora hats as they prepared for the more acrobatic moves.

_...People always told me be careful of what you do_  
_And don't go around breaking young girls' hearts_  
_And mother always told me be careful of who you love_  
_And be careful of what you do 'cause the lie becomes the truth..._

The duo then jumped up in the air before taking steps and clapping their hands along the music tempo. Once again they received loud cheers of approval from the audience.

_...Billie Jean is not my lover_  
_She's just a girl who claims that I am the one_  
_But the kid is not my son_  
_She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son..._

"You ain't so bad after all..." muttered Ryushi as he snapped his fingers.

"Hehe..." smirked Rokuro before doing a spin.

_...For forty days and forty nights_  
_The law was on her side_  
_But who can stand when she's in demand_  
_Her schemes and plans_  
_'Cause we danced on the floor in the round_  
_So take my strong advice, just remember to always think twice... (Don't think twice, don't think twice!)_

With a surprise, both suddenly turned to face opposite directions before seemingly walking away from each other... _In_ _b__ackwards fashion_...

"Moonwalk!" shouted a patron, earning more cheers from the crowd.

As they conducted another flawless moonwalk, Rokuro and Ryushi grinned at each other, gleaming with pride.

_...She told my baby we'd danced till three, then she looked at me_  
_Then showed a photo my baby cried his eyes were like mine (oh, no!)_  
_'Cause we danced on the floor in the round, baby..._

As the brothers continued to awe everyone with their moves, the audience grew as more and more patrons began gathering around the disco floor, enamored by what they were witnessing.

_...People always told me be careful of what you do_  
_And don't go around breaking young girls' hearts_  
_She came and stood right by me_  
_Just the smell of sweet perfume_  
_This happened much too soon_  
_She called me to her room..._

Suddenly, the brothers jumped in the air again before landing with a double spin, earning more excited cheers from the crowd, especially the women, who appeared to be going crazy.

"Kawaii!" screamed a feminine voice.

_...Billie Jean is not my lover_  
_She's just a girl who claims that I am the one_  
_But the kid is not my son..._

_...Billie Jean is not my lover_  
_She's just a girl who claims that I am the one_  
_But the kid is not my son_  
_She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son..._

The music finally died down, concluding the magnificent show. As the two brothers bowed with a smile, the bar was filled with the audience's cheers and applause.

"That was awesome!"

"You guys rock!"

"You're just like Michael Jackson!"

"KAWAII!"

"SUGOI!"

"Thank you!" Ryushi waved to the crowd before motioning Rokuro to step off the floor.

As they made their way back to the bar counter, they continued to receive praises and pats on their backs from everyone. One girl even managed to slip a kiss on Rokuro's cheeks, causing his face to beam red, which in turn caused Ryushi to burst in laughter. As they took their seats, they found their drinks already prepared, with the bartender standing with a smile.

"Oh... Thank you so much!" thanked Ryushi with a smile as he grabbed his drink.

"This one's on the house." smiled the bartender as he bowed. "That was an impressive show, gentlemen."

"Thank you!" Rokuro smiled as well, earning a nod from the bartender.

Both downed their whiskey before giving out a satisfied sigh.

"Ha! I never thought you took dancing so seriously! Maybe you should become a ballerina, Roku!" jabbed Ryushi with a snicker.

"Oh shut up! You were enjoying it just as much!" grinned back Rokuro, earning more laughs from Ryushi.

"Well I hate to admit this, but I think you may have beaten me there..." confessed Ryushi with defeat. "One minute in and I was already having difficulty keeping up with you... Damn..."

"Well that's a first..." smiled Rokuro.

"You haven't been secretly practicing all night, have you?" Ryushi eyed his brother.

"Oh please, you're just getting old already!" Rokuro jabbed back.

"Hey! Not cool, little brother!"

"Hehe..." grinned Rokuro, clearly having the time of his life.

"You wanna have another go?" challenged Ryushi, raising his eyebrows.

"Aren't you salty..." Rokuro smirked back.

Before Ryushi could respond, a group of girls approached the two with excited faces.

"Hi! You guys were so awesome over there!" complimented one of the girls enthusiastically.

"Thank you!" nodded Ryushi with a smile.

"Are you guys celebrities by any chance? What are your stage names?!" asked another girl.

"Can you guys do another dance?! Please!" pleaded the girl next to her.

"Yeah, encore!" said a girl with her fists up.

"Pleeeeeeeease?" pleaded the girls in unison.

Both Ryushi and Rokuro's faces were flushed in red, smiling nervously. Fortunately, the bartender intervened.

"Alright, that's enough! Leave them alone!" snapped the bartender at the group.

"Aw..." whined the girls.

"Go away! Shoo!" motioned the bartender.

Suddenly, Ryushi held up a hand, interrupting the bartender.

"Actually, bartender, my brother and I have some unfinished business. After all, this competition of ours isn't done yet. Right, Rokuro?"

Rokuro set down his glass before smiling at his brother. "Yes, the night's not over until we have a victor."

"So what do you say, little brother? Another round?" grinned Ryushi, already knowing the answer.

"Bring it on!" declared Rokuro as he stood up from the seat.

"Yay!" cheered the girls as the brothers prepared for another dazzling show.

"This time, I want something more challenging." said Ryushi as they walked back towards the disco floor.

"I agree. How does _Koi No Disco Queen _sound?" suggested Rokuro.

"Oh it's on!" grinned Ryushi.

The duo stepped into the floor, earning the entire bar's attention once more.

* * *

**A/N:**

**As you guessed it, this chapter was inspired by the dancing mini-game of _Yakuza 0_. I've recently discovered the _Yakuza_ series and I'm absolutely hooked into them. I wanted you to watch that YouTube video so afterwards, you can better visualize the scene where Rock and Ryushi have their own dance off. I chose _Billie Jean _because since this is the 90s, I figured Michael Jackson would still be popular, at least more than he is today. **

**Anyways, I hope everyone enjoyed the more light-hearted mood of this chapter, especially considering how depressing the last chapter was. Speaking of chapters, there will be three more chapters for this story after this update. Afterwards, I will begin Revy's Origins story, followed by Benny and Dutch. I've already made plans for other Black Lagoon stories as well and I'm very excited to write them as well. So keep your eye out!**

**Finally, I wish all of you a Happy New Year! We survived 2019 and here's to hoping 2020 will be much better! And thank you everyone who followed, faved and reviewed this story!**

**Please review! Thank you!**


	5. Corporate Ass Kicking

**Year: 1993 (2 years later)**

"And the final question, Okajima-san: What is the greatest challenge you faced and how did you overcome it?" asked the interviewer.

Rokuro sat nervously but remembered not to touch his collars as he wanted to keep up his confident appearance. Presently, Rokuro was being interviewed by Asahi Industries, one of the three corporate giants that dominated Japan, with their services ranging from heavy industries to R&D. Rokuro initially doubted whether his qualifications were enough but the fact that he got accepted for an interview gave him some hope. Still, this was only the beginning of a long road ahead. Rokuro had to choose his next words carefully, lest he wanted to derail his future career.

_'Shit, this is more stressful than the college entrance exam...' _thought Rokuro as he got a hold of himself.

The three interviewers, including the one who asked the final question, continued to stare at Rokuro, awaiting his response. Slowly, Rokuro opened his mouth and began.

"Sirs, I would consider my entire life to be a challenge. If I were to be honest, I wasn't the brightest during school, both junior high and secondary. My academic performances weren't the best compared to my smarter peers and confidence certainly wasn't my strong suit either. I was told from virtually everyone that I would amount to nothing in my life, destined to be in the bottom pit of society. However, despite my deficits, I did not give in. I continued to do many damnest to keep moving forward. Even when I failed to pass my college entrance exam for the first time, I kept my head up and continued trying again and again until I finally succeeded, earning myself a score within the 90th percentile, as you've seen in my transcript. I could've very well quit during all of my low-points, which I've had too many to count. But what allowed me to come this far was my tenacity and determination to never give in, no matter how hard things appear to be."

The interviewers continued their neutral expressions as Rokuro continued.

"And I promise you, sirs, that I will continue to show this level of devotion in your company as well." finished Rokuro before bowing.

Finally, one of the interviewers broke the silence, "I admire your honesty and the sheer willpower you possess, Okajima-san. However, hard work alone isn't enough in Asahi Industries. Our company demands a great deal from our employees and competence is among one of them. No matter how great your work ethic is, if you lack the aptitude to perform your job, then you may as well be wasting your life away."

Rokuro swallowed in nervousness, unsure of how to respond to the follow-up question. In truth, he didn't have the smarts or the intellectual capability to back him up. His extreme work-ethic was the only thing to make up for it but as the interviewer just stated, hard work could only take you so far.

"I..." Rokuro began but was suddenly cut off by another interview.

"That's enough for now, Hamada-san." interrupted the head interviewer, who sat in the middle of the three interviewers.

"Sir?" the interviewer raised an eyebrow.

"That question is for the next round of interviews. Okajima-san has already impressed me enough." smiled the head interviewer. "As for you, Okajima-san, that is all for today. You are dismissed and may wait outside to hear the results."

Without hesitance, Rokuro gave a bow before replying, "Thank you for giving me this great opportunity, sirs."

Rokuro walked towards the exit, slowly opening the door before stepping out. He then turned around and bowed to the trio of interviewers once more before closing the door.

As he turned around, Rokuro let out a huge sigh of relief before returning to his seat. As he looked around, Rokuro could see the nervous faces of the other applicants, though the ones who already finished their interviews like himself appeared more calm. Still, the anxiety wasn't over. Now, Rokuro couldn't do anything but pray that the his name would be called for the next round of interviews.

Meanwhile, in the interviewing room, the three interviewers looked at each other, indecisive about Rokuro Okajima.

"So, what is the consensus, gentlemen?" asked Yoshida, third interviewer.

"I say _no._" voiced Hamada, the second interviewer. "I've heard the same bullshit speeches thousands of times. Every single one of those useless imbeciles who spouted about their _hard work ethic _ended up being washed out due to their pathetic incompetence. Asahi Industries shouldn't bother wasting its time and resources investing these useless idiots..."

"You may be right, Hamada-san." agreed Sawaga, the head interviewer, but only partially. "However, Okajima-san appears different..."

"How so?" questioned Hamada.

"I've looked into his background and it backs up everything he said. He may not have been the brightest but his sheer will-power allowed him to miraculously pull of his achievements, which are no small feats." explained Sawaga.

"Yes, but what does it matter?! If he doesn't have brain to even do the job at hand, what use could he possibly have?!"

"You underestimate people too much, Hadama-san." smiled Sawaga. "In desperate situations, the human body can do great feats. Furthermore, Okajima-san may be quite... _useful_..."

"What are you insinuating, Sawaga-san?" Hamada raised an eyebrow.

Sawaga let out a smirk before answering, "There are certain _unsavory jobs _that are perfectly suited for people like Okajima-san."

"I'm still not following, Sawaga-san..."

"Do not worry, Hamada-san, I can handle this. In fact, I think I should approach _Kageyama _from the materials department about this." smiled Sawaga, still leaving the other interviewers perplexed at what was going on.

* * *

**Year: 1994 (1 year later)**

"Okajima!"

Rokuro felt a sudden force hit his posterior, causing him to stumble and drop some of his documents.

"Gah!" cried Rokuro as he attempted to balance himself. When he turned around, he saw his manager, Hirose, standing with his arms crossed. Unsurprisingly, he wore a stern look on his face. Rokuro internally rolled his eyes, wondering what his boss was going to give him shit for this time. Externally, however, Rokuro had no choice but to bow in submission.

"Yes, boss?" asked Rokuro nervously.

"Where are the reports that I requested from last night, Okajima?!" questioned Hirose.

Rokuro smiled nervously before answering, "The data is still incomplete, boss. And I haven't heard back from our clients for their-"

"Then get them to give us what we want instead of passively waiting for their response, you damn imbecile!" Hirose instantly cut him off, gritting his teeth.

Rokuro internally gritted his teeth, frustrated from his boss's unreasonable demands. The client companies were foreign and it was impossible to expect such an immediate response, especially when the request for the data came so abruptly. Still, Rokuro simply sighed and bowed once more.

"My apologies, boss. I'll get it done immediately."

Before Hirose could make another retort, he paused. Suddenly, he grabbed Rokuro by the neck and forced his head down.

"Um b-boss?" asked Rokuro with discomfort.

"Shut up and bow you imbecile!" hissed Hirose as he suddenly bowed as well.

Rokuro then rolled his eyes upwards to see the Department Executive Kageyama walking by, accompanied by a group of other employees.

_'Oh shit...' _thought Rokuro and lowered his head even further.

The sight of Kageyama never failed to intimidate anyone, including Hirose. He was notorious for being a harsh man, even by corporate standards. Rokuro once heard rumors that Kageyama fired an entire section of the department for their supposed incompetence. Whether this story was true or not, it still gave him the chills. This man essentially had the power of life and death over everyone and Rokuro hoped to stay out of the firing line as long as he could. At the same time, Rokuro also felt slight envy as he hoped to be in Kageyama's position one day. Unfortunately, he had higher chances of being struck by lightning. The likelihood of a lowly salaryman like Rokuro climbing to the rank of department executive was virtually none. Most were promoted based on the right connections and unfortunately, Rokuro lacked such privilege.

As soon as Kageyama disappeared in the hallway, Hirose pulled back Rokuro back up to eye level, causing the latter to wince in pain.

"You better have the finished report by my desk today or your pay will be cut! Do I make myself clear?!" hissed Hirose.

"Yes, boss!" Rokuro bowed for the fourth time.

"Now back to work!" ordered Hirose before walking away.

Rokuro gave out a sigh and quickly picked up the fallen documents before scurrying back to his cubicle. He was going to have to make a lot of calls today and he did not look forward to it.

Last week marked the first anniversary of Rokuro's employment as a salaryman in Asahi Industries, specifically in the Materials Department. To put it shortly, it wasn't what he expected it to be. Rokuro anticipated doing glamorous things like participating in R&D ventures and whatnot. Instead, he was nothing but a glorified secretary, making calls, arranging meetings and other menial work. The one upside was that he travelled abroad frequently. But even in those trips, he couldn't do much except for accompanying his boss like some errand boy. But Rokuro could still forgive all of that if he didn't get his ass kicked all the time, literally. Rokuro always had to bend over to everyone, from his boss to his older coworkers, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it, lest he wanted to compromise his career. As much as Rokuro wanted to complain, he just sucked it up and lived with it. Ever since the collapse of the Asset Price Bubble last year, finding any stable work was like winning the lottery ticket. Beggars couldn't be choosers and Rokuro was lucky to even have his current job. After all, the other alternative was to end up unemployed and homeless, and nothing could be worse and more shameful than that.

After hours of nonstop calls, Rokuro piled up all that data in the tables before finally finishing the reports.

"Finally..." whispered Rokuro with a sigh as he laid back on his chair. He looked at the clock, which read _17:50. _In ten minutes, he was out of this place.

Unfortunately, Rokuro's moment of tranquility was suddenly interrupted by a loud knock on his cubicle.

"This is no time to doze off, Okajima!" said a voice.

Rokuro flinched before turning around to see none other than Hirose, once again wearing a stern look on his face.

_'Not again...' _Rokuro whined internally.

Suddenly, Hirose revealed a thick pile of documents behind him and threw them at the table. Rokuro stared at the pile before looking up to his manager in confusion.

"Boss?"

"All of this data just came in from our mining operations in Africa. I need you to analyze it and complete a report by _tonight_."

_'Tonight?!'_

Rokuro's jaws dropped and he stared back at the pile of documents, incredulous from what he just heard. From the looks, that pile was probably filled with hundreds of sheets and it would take forever to go over everything.

"Is there a problem, Okajima?!" Hirose raised his voice, snapping Rokuro out of his thoughts.

"Uh, no! Not at all, boss!" assured Rokuro.

"That's what I thought! Now get to work!" ordered Hirose before storming off.

Rokuro stood in silence before suddenly dropping his head on the table. He then slammed his fist on the table before letting out a loud sigh.

"Fuck!" hissed Rokuro, shaking his head.

Right when he was looking forward to go home and relax, maybe even hang out in the batting cage, that prick Hirose just had to come screw it up. Still, Rokuro wasn't surprised at all. His boss frequently subjected him to working late nights without _any_ overtime pay. Rokuro remembered when he once dared to ask Hirose about receiving overtime pay. Unfortunately, the only thing he received was a slap in the face. Since then, Rokuro accepted his miniscule situation and hoped his hard work would eventually be rewarded someday. For now, however, there was nothing he could do but kiss ass.

Rokuro finally pulled his head back up before getting started on the pile of documents. It was going to be a long night...

* * *

The next Friday evening, Rokuro was amongst dozens of coworkers in a Yakiniku restaurant. It was one of those social dinners taking place every month and all employees were required to attend them. Rokuro hated them with a passion since he always had to listen to his superiors flaunting off their achievements, as well as put up with their drunk outbursts afterwards. However, this time, one of the section chiefs Iwami was dining with them. Rokuro hoped that his presence would cause everyone to behave this time.

As his coworkers conversed amongst themselves, Rokuro sat quietly on his seat, watching the meat sizzle on the grill. The social dinners were the only times Rokuro wished to be in his office instead. At least in his cubicle, he was left alone to do his own thing.

"So, Okajima-san, how goes your performance in this company?" called out a voice.

Rokuro snapped out of his thoughts from the sudden interruption. He then looked around to see everyone on the long table staring at him, including Iwami, one of the executives. Meanwhile, his boss Hirose gave him the stink eye. Whatever was going on, Rokuro missed out on it due to his space out. One could not describe how embarrassed he felt at the moment.

Rokuro gave out a nervous smile before replying, "I-I apologize, Iwami-sama, I was lost in my thoughts..."

As some of his coworkers began snickering in amusement, Iwami stared at Rokuro with a stern look before shrugging it off, "No matter, Okajima-san. You may continue, now that we have your attention."

"Yes, Iwami-sama..." Rokuro complied with a slight bow. "To answer your question-"

"Actually, Iwami-sama, I can answer that for you." interrupted Oda, a senior coworker of Rokuro.

"Oh really?" Iwami raised his eyebrows.

"Yes, sir. Furthermore, there are other things about Okajima that you my find _very_ _interesting_." explained Oda with a devious smirk.

"Well then let's hear it!" smiled Iwami as he clasped his hands.

"B-but..." Rokruo attempted to protest but his boss shot him another stern look, leaving him to helplessly watch everything unfold.

"Okajima here is quite a hard worker. I'm sure you were informed of that fact before he entered this company, sir. However, he can be quite clumsy, as you just witnessed a moment ago."

Everyone, including Iwami, chuckled at the last remark. Meanwhile, Rokuro kept his head down, trying to avoid eye-contact with anyone.

"But this is no surprise, Iwami-sama. Okajima's less than stellar academic records reflect upon his ineptness. I'm quite surprised that he's still holding in our company as long as he has by now. It's a shame that he doesn't share his _brother's_ spectacular talents..."

"Okajima has a brother?" Iwami raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, sir. An older brother named _Ryushi Okajima_." answered Oda.

"Huh, interesting..." commented Iwami before facing Rokuro. "Okajima-san, what does your brother do?"

Rokuro shuffled for a moment before looking up to face Iwami. "H-he works in the Foreign Affairs Ministry, sir..."

"Oh really? Is he a diplomat, perhaps?" questioned Iwami with curiosity.

"S-sort of, sir. He is stationed abroad in Germany as a foreign service officer." corrected Rokuro.

"That's quite a glamorous career he has, Okajima. Anyone would kill to have such a prestigious government position AND living abroad." complimented Iwami, clearly impressed.

"Yes, sir. He's doing very well right now..." agreed Rokuro with a hint of bitterness in his voice.

Rokuro thought the days of constantly being compared to his brother were behind him. However, it appeared to have made come back during his social dinner out of all times, where his bosses and coworkers were able to listen. He was also curious how his coworker Oda managed obtain this information. In fact, it infuriated him that his personal life was being pried on like this.

"Well as Oda-san said, it's a shame you aren't able to live up to your brother's level, Okajima-san." shrugged Iwami before smiling. "Still, at least you've made yourself useful, unlike some worthless students and the permanently unemployed."

"Being the brilliant genius the elder Okajima is, he's the perfect kind of employee Asahi needs." commented Oda before turning to Rokuro with a smirk. "Unfortunately, we instead got the less than capable _little brother_..."

That did it with Rokuro. As his coworkers began laughing at him, Rokuro grit his teeth and curled his fists before facing Oda with a hard glare.

"Perhaps he's too good to bring himself down to _your level_, Oda-san..." retorted Rokuro.

Oda twitched for moment, stunned from what he just heard. Everyone else also froze on their seats, silently anticipating what was to come.

"Wha-what did you just say?" growled back Oda, clearly offended.

Fortunately, Iwami diffused the situation just in time before it went out of hand.

"Alright, gentlemen, that's enough." cut in Iwami, clearly amused from all of this. "From the smells, I believe our meat has finally finished cooking. Let's get started on our feast, everyone!"

Suddenly, everyone sat up straight and faced Iwami before bowing.

"Hai!" acknowledged everyone in unison before preparing the tables.

Meanwhile, Rokuro and Oda continued gaze upon each other, unbridled hate burning in both of their eyes. However, Rokuro was interrupted when he felt a poke on his right shoulder. He turned to the direction to see his other coworker Kazama smiling.

"C'mon, Okajima! Let's eat!" urged Kazama.

Rokuro let out a sigh before finally grabbing the chopsticks. As Kazama moved the pieces of meat to Rokuro's plate, he leaned in to Rokuro before whispering, "That was pretty awesome by the way, Okajima. It was about time someone put that stuck-up Oda in his place."

Rokuro smiled lightly before replying, "Thanks..."

Still, he was in too much of a horrid mood to have a good time. As much as Rokuro enjoyed crushing Oda's ego in front of Iwami, there was no doubt that he himself was utterly humiliated tonight.

* * *

Hours later, it was 2am in the morning and Rokuro finally returned to his apartment. Due to all the drinking earlier, Rokuro was forced to call a taxi instead of catching the metro ride. It was a sound choice since his sense of direction was quite delirious at the moment.

Rokuro entered his place, slowly closing the front door behind him before throwing away his briefcase. As Rokuro stumbled into his living room, he stood for a moment before suddenly grabbing the lamp. He lifted it up before slamming it towards the floor, shattering its bulb. He then grabbed the table and spun it around before leaving it flying towards the wall. Next, he went for the television by kicking the screen, shattering it into pieces. He then let out a loud roar before suddenly kicking the wall. Rokuro was going absolutely berserk.

**"WILL SOMEONE TELL ME, WHY I HAVE TO SUFFER LIKE THIS?!"**

He slammed the wall again with his head before collapsing to the couch, breathing heavily. All the frustration and anger that he built up, Rokuro released it in full force and he held nothing back.

Rokuro was sick of it. Sick of everything. Sick of being treated like dogshit by others. His coworkers... His boss... His parents... People seemed to think they could do and say anything they wanted to him. Where ever he went, Rokuro's life was filled with nothing but constant ill treatment by everyone around him. From being bullied in school, to cold neglect from his parents, and now being overworked and looked down by his own workplace, misery appeared to always follow him no matter what.

Rokuro sat back up and looked around his living room, which was now completely trashed. It was almost as if a robbery had taken place.

"Damn it!" Rokuro gave himself a facepalm before leaning back. "What the hell's the point anymore..."

That question always lingered in his mind. It seemed his life lacked any joy... Pain and misery was all there was... He might've just as well pull the plug and end that misery. That's exactly what he thought when was about to jump from that bridge. That is, until Ryushi saved him the last minute. Still, that wasn't the last time Rokuro contemplated suicide since his struggles have never stopped. However, that night on the bridge changed everything for him. Ryushi's actions showed Rokuro that there were still people out there that did care for him. As Ryushi told him, if Rokuro were to pull the plug, he would let down everyone who do care for him and spread the pain. Every time Rokuro seriously contemplated jumping off a bridge over Tokyo Bay, the thoughts of Ryushi kept him in check. Though that wasn't to say there weren't close calls...

Suddenly there were a series of loud knocks on the front door.

"Hey, quiet down in there! Some of us are trying to sleep!" shouted someone from outside.

Rokuro snapped out of his thoughts and stood up, nervously staring at the door before replying, "S-sorry about that!"

The person outside didn't even respond and walked off. As the footstep sounds faded away, Rokuro gave himself another facepalm.

_'Damn it, Rokuro!' _he cursed himself. Rokuro then sat down his couch again and continued his thoughts.

Despite all that has happened, however, Rokuro still had a glimmer of hope, which was enough to keep him looking forward. Someday, Rokuro would escape his current situation and live a better life. A life where he was free to live as he chose and with people that not only respected him, but gave him the love and friendship he so desired. For now, however, Rokuro had to put up with all of this bullshit. Still, as long as he'd get out of this eventually, Rokuro didn't care how long it took. It may take as long as decades. Or it may even be next year...

_'Like that's ever gonna happen...'_ chuckled Rokuro at the last part before laying down completely.

Already drunk and exhausted, Rokuro felt himself drifting to sleep, struggling to keep his eyes open. Before he knew it, he was completely knocked out and dozed off on his couch.

* * *

**A/N:**

**I hope everyone enjoyed witnessing Rock's time in Asahi Industries. We're finally nearing the end because now, all that's left is the final chapter and the epilogue.**

**Also, you guys probably realize that this isn't a regular Black Lagoon story. And I understand if it's hard to follow due to the lack of action, frequent time jumps and the various Japanese cultural elements, which can be difficult to follow as well. However, I really wanted to write a story about Rock's life before Roanapur and cover all the crucial parts of that life, from his school life to his time in Asahi. Even though Rock's biography already describes his early life, I wanted to give more substance to it. **

**Anyways, I hope everyone's new year is off to a good start!**

**Please review! Thank you!**


	6. Freedom

**Date: 1995 (1 year later)**

Rokuro has been typing on his computer non-stop for hours and his fingers began to ache. It wasn't even past noon yet unfortunately, the day was far from over. Still, Rokuro was at least near completing the documents and could move on to making calls. Rokuro preferred to talk on the phone much more than twirling his fingers to death.

To ensure no one was around, Rokuro took a quick glance behind him before turning back. He then gave out a silent yawn and stretched out his hands. If Rokuro was ever caught yawning during work, both his pay and performance points would've been deducted, thus placing him at a lower bar for promotions and other prospects, as well as get his ass kicked by his boss as usual. Right before Rokuro resumed typing, his phone began ringing. Rokuro nervously stared at the phone, as he didn't expect any calls at this time.

_'Huh, I wonder who it could be?' _thought Rokuro as he gulped.

Slowly, he picked the phone before answering, "Hello, this is Okajima speaking."

_"Okajima-san, please report to Department Executive Kageyama's office immediately." _spoke the voice before immediately hanging up.

Rokuro sat frozen, his anxiety shooting up through the roof. His mind began running questions, trying to figure out why the department executive out of all people would want to see him. Upon hearing Kageyama's name, he knew this was something either really bad or really good for him. Rokuro sincerely hoped it was the latter.

_'I'm either getting fired or receiving a promotion...' _hypothesized Rokuro before getting up from his seat.

Not wishing to be late, Rokuro made haste and quickly exited his cubicle. As he walked through the office area, Rokuro began silently praying to God, despite the fact that he was irreligious. However, as one American soldier once put it: _T__here are no atheists in foxholes._

It has now been two years since Rokuro began working in Asahi. Needless to say, the first year was quite rough since like everyone else, Rokuro started at the bottom of totem pole, always bring on the receiving end of everything. However, as time passed, he made it through the rite of passage and climbed up through the ranks. Though Hirose still gave him shit, it was noticeably less frequent these days since he was no longer some newbie. Furthermore, a lot of the senior coworkers like Oda have left the company, leaving the work environment much more manageable than it used to be. To put it bluntly, life was okay these days for Rokuro, at least compared to his first year. As long as he didn't have any major screw ups, it seemed like things could only go upwards for Rokuro.

_'Maybe this really is a promotion...'_ thought Rokuro with a hint of optimism. Besides, if he was getting fired, it was strange for the department executive himself to inform him of the news.

Upon arriving in front of Kageyama's office, the secretary gave Rokuro a halting gesture before dialing up the phone. After exchanging a few words, she put the phone down before motioning Rokuro to enter.

"Kageyama-sama will see you now, Okajima-san." informed the secretary.

Rokuro nodded and grabbed the door handle before slowly opening it. Inside the office were Kageyama, his manager Hirose and another man Rokuro didn't recognize. All were seated on the couches and turned their attentions towards him. Rokuro then slowly closed the door behind him before giving the three men the best bow he could offer.

"Ah, Okajima, you've finally arrived. Please, sit down." Kageyama gestured him towards a seat.

Rokuro did as instructed and made his way to the seat before sitting down. As much as he tried to hide his nervousness, his eyes were a dead giveaway.

"Don't look so anxious, Okajima. You are not in trouble." assured Kageyama.

"Sir?" Rokuro raised his eyebrow.

"I called you here to inform you of an important matter." clarified Kageyama before turning to the unknown individual. "Kido, explain the details of the _assignment_."

_'Assignment?'_

"Yes, sir." Kido nodded before taking out what appeared to be a disk case. "Before I proceed, Okajima, you must swear to never reveal anything that's to be discussed here. _Nothing can leave this room. _Do I make myself clear, Okajima?"

"Hai." Okajima gave a quick bow.

"Very well. In that case, I should inform you that we have a very crucial assignment for you, Okajima." began Kido as he set the disk case on the table. "This disk you see here contains very sensitive data and it must be delivered to our client without a hitch. And you will be tasked to deliver it to our client in Brunei. So time for another business trip, Okajima."

This was nothing like anything Rokuro expected. He's never had to do any courier work before and the fact that this was abroad made it even more fishy. Regardless, Rokuro knew best not to question his superiors, except for one thing.

"Sirs, if I may ask, why am I chosen for this?" questioned Rokuro before pointing out, "I believe some of the freelance couriers are more qualified for this."

"You are in no position to ask questions, Okajima!" growled Hirose.

"No, Hirose." interrupted Kageyama.

"Sir?"

"Okajima brings up a valid point." pointed out Kageyama before he turned to Rokuro. "After all, you are no courier, Okajima. However, as Kido stated, the data stored in that disk is too sensitive and we simply cannot trust any third party. Therefore, we must entrust this task to one of ours."

Rokuro remained silent, wondering what made that disk so damn important. Perhaps it contained designs of classified projects from the R&D department. Or maybe... Just maybe it contained shady stuff surrounding Asahi Industries...

"Regardless, this assignment shouldn't be of any difficulty for you, Okajima." said Kageyama with a light smile.

"No, of course not, sir!" assured Rokuro with a bow.

"One more thing, Okajima." interrupted Kido.

"Yes, sir?"

"Let this be clear: _No one,_ except those with clearance, may access the data on this disk. If you even _attempt_ to access the data for yourself, you will be immediately _terminated_ from Asahi Industries, as well as be _prosecuted_ for encroaching on company property." explained Kido with a glare. "Do we have an understanding, Okajima-san?"

Rokuro gulped before nodding, "Yes, Kido-san..."

"Very well. In that case, you are dismissed for now." concluded Kageyama. "Kido will provide additional details of the assignment later on. For now, you will stay put in your post until further notice."

"Yes, Kageyama-sama!" bowed Rokuro before standing up and leaving for the exit.

As customary, Rokuro bowed once more to his superiors before closing the door. As soon as it shut, Rokuro let out sigh.

_'At least I didn't get fired...'_

Although disappointed that it wasn't a promotion, Rokuro was also relieved that it wasn't any bad news. It seemed quite strange initially for Kageyama himself to call Rokuro over to his office, just to assign him as a delivery boy. However, his superior's sensitivity over the disk explained it, especially when his employment was threatened. Whatever it contained, it was definitely above Rokuro's pay-grade. There was another American saying: _Curiosity killed the cat._ And Rokuro knew better to just do as he was ordered, no questions asked. Besides, this trip gave him the perfect opportunity to enjoy the warm beaches of Brunei.

* * *

**Location: South China Sea**

It's been two days since the ship left port in Tokyo. Rokuro lied on his cabin's bed, bored to the core. There was absolutely no form of entertainment on this ship; No televisions... No newspapers... Not even a damn radio, at least not for the passengers. Rokuro attempted to socialize with other passengers every time he went topside. Unfortunately, he was the only Japanese passenger on the ship... Therefore, it seemed the only way to kill time was to sleep through it. He was still bewildered why he was forced to travel by ship. Not just any ship, but a damn _tanker_ out of all things. Flying certainly would've made the trip much quicker and easier. However, due to the nature of this assignment, Rokuro didn't even bother figuring out why. Furthermore, beggars couldn't be choosers after all...

As Rokuro lied on his bed, he let out a loud yawn before slowly getting up. He walked over to the window and opened the blinds before observing the shining seas. Despite the utter boredom, Rokuro had to admit the view was quite beautiful. Desiring for a smoke, Rokuro grabbed his carton of cigarettes before slipping into his shoes.

*BEEP!

*BEEP!

*BEEP!

Alarms suddenly sounded, causing Rokuro to drop his cigarettes.

"What the hell?!"

Rokuro swore the alarm sounds were over a hundred decibels. His ear drums hurt like hell, prompting him to cover them with his hands. Suddenly, the alarms halted and the speakers sounded off.

_"Attention, passengers!"_ announced a voice._ "This is not a drill! Please stay in your cabins and lock your doors! We are under-"_

The speakers were cut off when what sounded like an explosion suddenly shook the entire hull, causing Rokuro to stumble.

_'WHAT THE FUCK?!' _

The alarms suddenly ceased completely. As much as he wanted the alarm to stop, however, Rokuro didn't ask for a damn explosion...

"Damn it! What the hell is going on?!" cried Rokuro, panicking.

Was there a gas leak? Did the boiler room blow up? Did the engines malfunction? Whatever it was, something was clearly wrong. However, Rokuro was confused about the announcement. Why would the passengers be instructed to stay within their cabins? If there was life-threatening danger onboard, such as a fire hazard, it was a no brainer to head for the lifeboats. Then again, the announcement wasn't able to finish due to that explosion.

_'We are under... Under... Under what?' _analyzed Rokuro in his thoughts before shaking it off. "Ah, screw it!"

Rokuro wasn't going to take any chances. If the the ship was about sink, he didn't have any time to waste. To hell with the announcement. That explosion was more than enough reason to get the hell out of there.

He quickly gathered the essential items, including his wallet, passport and most importantly, the disk. Rokuro briefly checked the disk to ensure it was in good shape before slipping it into his shirt's breast pocket. Everything else had to be left behind. With that, Rokuro opened the door and instantly darted out.

As Rokuro sprinted through the corridor, he noticed it was eerily quiet. Either the other passengers were doing as the announcement told them, or they were already topside. Whatever the case, Rokuro wasn't going to wait to figure it out. He continued following the emergency signs, passing through multiple corridors and exits. He did not wish to die drowning in the sea.

After climbing multiple stair cases, Rokuro finally saw the exit door, smiling in relief. Without hesitation, he kicked open the door, causing sunlight to bombard his face. Rokuro lifted his arms over his head before looking around the area. He could see heavy smoke coming from the bow of the ship, most likely from that explosion earlier.

_'Oh my God...'_

Strangely, the deck also appeared to be empty. There wasn't a single person in sight. It was too quiet...

"Where is everybody?" he murmured.

*Click!

Suddenly, Rokuro felt something hard being pressed into the back of his head. He immediately tensed up, his eyes widening.

"Don't you dare move a fucking muscle." threatened a feminine voice.

_'Oh no...' _thought Rokuro as he realized what was happening.

The unknown assailant then walked around, revealing herself in front of Rokuro while still keeping him at gunpoint. Upon seeing her with his own eyes, Rokuro was baffled by her appearance. It was a woman armed with not one, but _two_ shiny pistols. Her dark hair was tied to a ponytail and her right arm sported an elaborate tribal tattoo, similar to the Maori warriors from New Zealand. Her clothings were quite peculiar, consisting of denim shorts, a black crop top and combat boots. Needless to say, she wasn't exactly modest...

"Well well... You're exactly what we're looking for!" smiled the woman.

"Uh... W-What?" said Rokuro as he shook in fear.

"Shut it you fucking Jap!" growled the woman. "You're coming with me! Don't try any funny moves!"

Rokuro simply gulped, too terrified to process it all.

"Come on! MOVE, you dipshit!" scowled the woman before kicking Rokuro by his hips.

"Gah!" cried Rokuro, stumbling.

"Fucking idiot..." muttered the woman before pressing her earpiece. "Hey Dutch! I finally found somebody! I think it's him!"

_"Is he Japanese?" _replied the earpiece.

"Yeah! Well... I think he is..." shrugged the woman.

_"Okay, Revy, bring him over."_

_'Revy... That's a peculiar name...' _thought Rokuro.

As the duo walked across the deck, Rokuro wanted to kick himself badly. He really should've listened to that announcement... It had to be _pirates_ out of all things! Pirates! And now, Rokuro's life was on the line as he was held at gunpoint by some crazed psychopathic woman! Never in a million years did he think his life would end this way. Suddenly, Rokuro's entire life began flashing by in his thoughts. He was reliving every moment, including his first day of school, the time he was beaten in the alley, the time he attempted to take his own life at the bridge, all the great times he spent with his brother and much more. Naturally, Rokruo's thoughts also began to be filled with regrets: He wished he stood up for himself more... He wished that he followed his intuitions more instead of blindly doing what others told him... And he sincerely wished he got to spend more time with his brother...

Finally, Rokuro and the woman named Revy arrived at the starboard area, where a group of both passengers and crew members were huddled up in a corner with their hands raised. Holding them at gunpoint was a tall and muscular black man, presumably named Dutch according to Revy's conversation. Unlike Revy, he was clad in military attire and armed with a revolver. Rokuro instantly felt intimidated by Dutch, who easily towered over him by a whole feet. Everyone, including the passengers, turned their attentions towards Rokuro.

"Is it him?" questioned Dutch, pointing his revolver at Rokuro.

"Yeah, haven't found any other Japs on in this ship." replied Revy nonchalantly.

Dutch walked over to Rokuro, staring him down intently. Meanwhile, Rokuro was sweating profusely and tried his best to not _piss_ his own pants. Suddenly, Dutch reached a hand over to Rokuro's shirt, causing him to flinch. He then quickly took out the disk from the breast pocket before inspecting it for himself.

_'Damn it! Should've hid it in my back pocket...' _

"You from Asahi Industries?" Dutch suddenly asked.

Rokuro's eyes twitched, visibly shook. How the hell could he possibly know that? Was all of this planned from the start?!

"Uh..."

"So that's a _yes._" confirmed Dutch.

This was the end of the line for Rokuro. These pirates not only knew who he was but also had the disk now. It was clear his employers did something to provoke these pirates. There was no point to all of this anymore. For all he cared, this delivery assignment could go to hell. Whatever this shit was, Rokuro refused to be involved in it. He wasn't going to risk his life over some disk.

"Um, no! I don't know what you're talking about!" bluffed Rokuro, pushing his luck.

Dutch stood in silence before slipping the disk into his own pocket. Suddenly, he raised his fist before swinging it towards Rokuro, decking him in the face.

*SLAM!

"Grrah!" cried Rokuro as he collapsed the ground.

Both pirates cocked their weapons and once again, Rokuro was held at gunpoint.

"Alright, Mr. Japanese. I'll ask you one more time. The package you got from Asahi Industries Headquarters in Tokyo. The one you're in charge of until you hand it over to the chief in Borneo." explained Dutch before taking out the disk again. "This is it, right?"

Rokuro covered his bloodied nose with his hand before looking back up. Perhaps it was a bad idea to lie his way out of death...

"Yeah... But what I wanna know is-"

"We're all done with you now." Dutch cut him off. "You've given us what we wanted."

"Dutch, this is a pain in the ass. I say we kneecap this pussy. There'll be no secrets after that..." suggested Revy.

"There's no need." declined Dutch. "That one disk is more than enough for the compensation."

"Ugh, you call that compensation?" questioned Revy, rolling her eyes.

Suddenly, both of their earpieces sounded off.

_"Dutch! Hey, Dutch! You through with them yet?"_ asked the earpiece. _"There's something heading straight for us from Subic Bay. It's probably a patrol boat from the Filipino Navy."_

Revy grunted in frustration while Dutch pressed his earpiece and responded.

"Don't panic, Benny Boy, it's all been taken care of. Start the engines." commanded Dutch before facing the other passengers.

Suddenly, Rokuro heard the sounds of engines starting behind him. He took a quick glance over the ship's rails, finding what appeared to be small boat anchored below.

"Now listen up, gentlemen!" announced Dutch. "We're gonna disappear! And then you're all free to go! But I'm warning you! The deal's off if anyone tries to come after us!" warned Dutch before gesturing everyone towards the small boat. "What you see there is a torpedo launcher! If you don't wanna float home on what's left of your ship, I recommend you stay put for the next half-hour! After that, _you're free to do as you wish_!"

Upon hearing the last sentence, Rokuro gave out a huge sigh of relief. He wasn't going to die after all... He was going to live! It was as if a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders. Rokuro almost gave out a smile from the good news. Almost...

"We're gonna live..." sighed Rokuro.

Suddenly, Rokuro felt a gun pressed to his face, causing him to flinch again.

"Why are you looking so relaxed..." spoke Revy.

Rokuro then turned to see Revy once again pointing her pistol at him.

"You're gonna _tag along_ with us, dumbass..." she informed him.

Rokuro swore he misheard what she just said. In fact, he hoped to God that he was having hearing problems. She did not just say what he thought she said!

"Y-You're joking... You're joking, right?" stuttered Rokuro, smiling nervously.

"You shut up and walk!" threatened Revy, pressing her gun harder into his face.

Rokuro's whole world instantly cracked. This _maniacal bitch_ was out of her mind! She was going to take him for ransom!

_'No... No... No no no no! NO! THIS CAN'T BE!' _

"Let's move, dipshit!" ordered Revy as she grabbed Rokuro by the neck.

Before he knew it, Rokuro was on that boat with the pirates, still held at gunpoint by that psychopathic woman. As the boat sped away, the tanker ship quickly disappeared into the horizon.

"YOU'RE JOKING, RIGHT?!" cried Rokuro as he looked out.

With so much already happening in the past hour, Rokuro didn't even know what to expect anymore. Regardless, whatever came for him next, Rokuro's life was going to change forever.

_Japan... Is drifting farther away..._

* * *

**(Back to present day)**

Finished with his cigarette, Rock threw it into the water before continuing his gaze on the night sky. Rock couldn't tell how much time has passed, but he didn't care. He was content with simply living at the moment. That was another thing that separated his new life from his old one. Back in Japan, everything he did was always for the sake of preparing for the future. From studying in school to going to college... Going to college to get a job... Working dead-end jobs just for that promotion... It was always a hustle with no end in sight... In Roanapur, none of that mattered. People were free to do whatever the hell they wanted and no one cared for the consequences. If they died tomorrow, that was the end of it. If they survived, good for them. Regardless, they lived at the moment, carefree of what happened the next day. Though Rock certainly wasn't as foolhardy, he appreciated the freedom as well. Here in Roanapur, he was his own master with absolute control of his own fate. He didn't bow to anyone and had true _choice_ in his life. If death eventually came to bite him in the ass, it would've been through his own volition since Rock ultimately chose to be in Roanapur, knowing the risks involved. Ever since Rock first tasted this freedom, he knew there was no way he could ever return to his old life in Japan. He would never return to a life where he was a slave in all but name. Furthermore, Rock was becoming addicted to this freedom, becoming tempted to delving deeper and deeper into it. However, the incident with Roberta showed the consequences of delving _too _deep. Though he was close, Rock wasn't ready to leave the twilight, not yet. Unfortunately, Rock could already sense that his days in the twilight were numbered. This state of limbo was only going to make things worse not just for him, but for everyone else. As Revy once asked him, _which side was he truly on?_ It's a question Rock struggled to answer ever since he arrived in Roanapur. Sooner or later, Rock would have to make a decision, and come to terms with who he really was. However, for now, he would try to postpone that day and live out the twilight as long as possible. One way to do that was to keep quiet and not get involved in other people's business, which Rock did a terrible job at doing. Still, the fiasco with Roberta was a good reminder to keep himself at check.

Finishing his introspection, it truly was a roller coaster ride for Rock. The good memories made him smile while the bad memories, especially the one with the bridge, made him nearly shed tears. Despite his affirmation that he could never return to Japan, a part of him continued to second guess that decision. That part was Ryushi. Throwing away his old life also meant throwing away Ryushi out of his life as well. Despite all they shared together, Rock chose to leave him for his new life. And that begged these questions: Was it worth leaving behind everything, including his brother, for this life of freedom in Roanapur? Was Rock's desire for freedom that much more important than his brother? Just like the twilight question, Rock honestly did not know the answers. Regardless, one thing was clear: Despite the falling out they had, Rock loved his brother dearly and NOTHING was ever going to change that.

Suddenly, the dam broke and Rock began shedding tears. He didn't even bother holding it and let it all out. Freedom... Choice... The Twilight... For a brief moment, none of it seemed to matter. Rock missed Ryushi... And he really wanted to see him again...

"Ryushi..." whispered Rock as his tears fell to the sand.

Unbeknownst to Rock, Revy stood behind him from a distance, quietly observing what was happening. Her firsts curled up in discomfort as she heard Rock's cries. Normally, Revy would've mocked him for looking so pitiful. Crying was pathetic and she lost respect for anyone who did it. However, for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to look down on him. Revy hated to admit it, but it pained her to see Rock in this state.

_'God dammit, Rock... What's going on with you?'_

Rock was supposed to be the bright and optimistic one and seeing him like this, the world felt like it was turning upside down. All these times with Rock acting so distant, Revy thought he was just being a cold jerkass. However, as she watched him break down, it was clear something was seriously fucking with the poor guy. As much as she didn't want to do this, Revy was going to make an exception this time. She couldn't bear watching him like this any longer. She was going to do it, for _Rock's_ sake.

Revy took a deep breath before calmly walking towards Rock.

_'Come on, you bitch! You're just talking to him!' _Revy assured herself.

She felt pathetic for feeling so anxious about something so simple as talking to him. Revy had no problems when it came to jumping into firefights with bullets whizzing past her.

_'Damn it, I feel like some nervous schoolgirl...' _thought Revy, her face flushing in embarrassment.

As she arrived behind Rock, Revy couldn't help but slightly cringe from Rock's whimpers. Already overwhelmed with pressure, she began to second guess herself and considered bailing.

_'Fucking get on with it, Two Hands! Just fucking TALK!' _she scolded herself.

Revy let out a sigh before finally speaking, "Rock?"

Rock continued to weep, seemingly unable to hear her. Revy rolled her eyes in frustration before trying again.

"Rock?" repeated Revy, raising her voice.

Slowly, Rock's weeping came to a halt.

"You okay, partner?" asked Revy with the calmest demeanor she could muster.

Rock quickly wiped off the tears on his face with his sleeves. He then slowly turned around to face Revy, revealing his reddened eyes. Despite ceasing his crying, Rock continued to sniff out his tears and avoided making eye contact with Revy. As Revy patiently waited for him to answer her question, he suddenly began walking away, passing right by her without any acknowledgement.

"Rock?"

Rock, seemingly ignoring her, continued to walk away. Already, Revy's patience was running out and her frustration began growing again.

"Rock, I asked you a question!" called out Revy.

Rock continued nonchalantly, as if he was deaf.

"Aren't we supposed to be friends?! Answer me, god dammit!" demanded Revy, already becoming pissed off.

Rock still did not respond and continued to walk away. It was as if she wasn't even there. Revy suddenly grit her teeth and began curling her fists. Whatever compassion she had for Rock instantly evaporated and she was back to her brash self. She was sick of his bullshit. But if that's how things were going to be then she wasn't going to bother anymore. Rock could drown in his own sorrows for all she cared.

"So you wanna play it like that, huh?! Fine! Whatever, dude! Fuck you!" cursed out Revy with middle finger.

Suddenly, Rock stopped in his footsteps before slightly turning his head.

"I'm fine, Revy..." replied Rock calmly before resuming his walk.

Meanwhile, Revy just stood on her spot, dumbfounded. From the tone of his voice, Rock sounded... vulnerable... As if he relived through some painful memory... Now that she thought about it, Rock wasn't just feeling down. No, something clearly traumatizing happened in his past and for some reason, it returned to him. It was something Revy was very much familiar with. But just what the hell was it that made him break down like this? Was it here in Roanapur? Was it back in Japan? She hadn't the slightest clue... Regardless, all the anger disappeared and Revy once again had a sympathetic look on her face.

"Damn it, _Rocky Baby_..." Revy whispered softly.

Realizing what she just said, Revy's face began to redden.

_'Grrr! Fuck!'_ Revy cursed herself before sighing. _'...You're a real pain in the ass, Rock.' _

"Ah, fuck it..." muttered Revy before running off, trying to catch up to Rock.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Hope everyone enjoyed the final chapter of this story, as well as the reenactment of the opening scene of the first episode! I had fun writing that scene, especially when I tried to build up everything that led to it. ****However, the story is not over yet because there's still an epilogue chapter I want to write. **

**Lastly, I hope none of the canon characters sounded OOC. I tried my very best to make them in-character despite the situation, such as the last part where Revy feels sorry for Rock when he breaks down. She's usually extremely cold/brash and it's difficult to see her behave sympathetically for someone. However, this is Rock we're talking about and we all know how she feels about him. So I took the liberty to show a softer side of her, even if it was only brief. **

**Anyways, stay tuned for the epilogue chapter! It'll probably be posted sometime by next weekend. Unfortunately, classes have started again and I'll be busy with school work. Still, I will finish this story as quickly as possible. **

**Please review! Thank you!**


	7. Epilogue

**Date: 1994**

**Location: Tokyo, Japan**

"Rokuro, open the door!" demanded Ryushi.

For ten minutes, Ryushi kept knocking the door. He knew Rokuro was in his room and wouldn't leave until he answered. He flew all the way from Berlin to see his brother and he damn well would see him.

"Rokuro, please!" pleaded Ryushi as he gave another series of knocks.

Finally, he heard the sounds of the door unlocking. As it slowly creaked open, it revealed a horribly disheveled Rokuro, sporting the face of an absolute drunkard. The clothes were tattered and his hair was quite a mess. Needless to say, Ryushi was quite disappointed to his brother in this state.

"What do you want..." asked Rokuro with a quiet voice.

Ryushi wanted to shake his head from what he was seeing. However, knowing his brother's emotions were hanging by a thread, Ryushi held it back. He let out a sigh before replying, "What's going on, Rokuro?"

Rokuro simply grunted in response, looking away in shame.

"You haven't called in months, Rokuro. I was worried sick for you. And now, _this_ is how you welcome me?"

"You could've called yourself to let me know you were coming..." pointed out Rokuro.

He did have a point. Ryushi did show up to his place unannounced. Still, he didn't let that distract him from the bigger issue at hand.

"I came because I'm worried for you, Rokuro! Just look at yourself right now! You look like shit!"

Rokuro started chuckling amusingly.

"Is that why you came to me? You flew all the way from Germany, just to let me know I look like shit?" he smirked. "Way to splurge your money like this. Enjoying your taxpayer-funded salary, Ryushi?"

"Stay focussed on the issue, Rokuro!" retorted Ryushi. "You don't call, you don't write and you don't answer any of _my_ calls and letters. Why are you doing this, Rokuro? Did something happen here?"

Rokuro said nothing, avoiding eye contact with Ryushi. He was clearly hiding something. Still, Ryushi waited patiently for a response. He could wait all day if he had to.

"What does it matter anyways? None of this shit matters..." Rokuro suddenly mumbled.

"What are you talking about?" questioned Ryushi, confused.

"Whatever, just leave..." replied Rokuro frustratingly before pushing back the door.

Ryushi suddenly put his foot on the door, blocking it. He was not going to let him off the hook this easily.

"Rokuro..." began Ryushi. "Please, tell me what is going on. I can't help you if you keep pushing me away like this."

"When did I say I wanted your help?!" Rokuro suddenly raised his voice. "What the hell do you for care anyways?! The only time you ever talk to me is when I'm fucking up! Is that what you want to hear every time you see me?! How much of a fucking failure I am?! Remind me how low I am compared to you?!"

"What the hell are you on about, Rokuro?!" retorted Ryushi, bewildered from his brother's outburst.

"Take a good look at us, Ryushi." gestured Rokuro. "The smart and academically capable older brother goes on to make a huge name for himself by working a prestigious government position. He's big, strong, confident and oh boy are his parents super fucking proud of him! Meanwhile, the dumb and delinquent little brother ends up being nothing but an overworked and underpaid salaryman who's always getting his ass kicked by his scumbag bosses! What does he mean to his parents, though? Nothing! I'm just some useless and disposable child who they wish was never born so they can save face!"

There he was going about this again. Every single time they met Rokuro would always go off on these rants and frankly, Ryushi was getting sick of it.

"Are you really gonna bring this up again?!" retorted Ryushi. "Enough with this, Rokuro! We already talked about this! You're the only one who's convinced yourself that you're a failure! Not me or anyone else! You keep deprecating yourself with all this negativity and now it's stuck in your head! And I'm trying to help you get out of it but sometimes, I think enjoy being the fucking victim all the time!"

"Get out." Rokuro spoke with a cold voice.

"Look, I get it. You've dealt a rough hand and I'm sorry for it. But you beating yourself over like this won't help a damn thing! You need to stop with this damn victim-complex of yours! And I WANT to help you, Roku-"

"YOU DON'T KNOW A DAMN THING, YOU PRETENTIOUS ASSHOLE!" screamed Rokuro.

Ryushi froze, startled from the explosive response.

"What the hell do you know about what I've been through?! You've never known failure in your life! You've never known what it's like to be discarded by your loved ones! So stop saying that you 'get it_'_! Because you DON'T!"

"Rokuro..."

"Did you already forget what father said, Ryushi?! _I'm no longer his son_!" reminded Rokuro.

"Rokuro, please!" Ryushi held up his hand but to no avail.

"GET THE FUCK OUT! DON'T EVER COME BACK!" Rokuro shouted in tears before slamming the door shut.

Ryushi stood outside, utterly shocked from what just occurred. He could hear the faint cries of Rokuro on the other side of the door. Next thing he knew, tears began forming in his eyes as well.

"Damn it!" whispered Ryushi as he kicked the ground.

_'What the hell has our family become...'_

* * *

**Date: 1995 **

**Location: Berlin, Germany**

After almost four years living in Berlin, the city was almost like a second home to Ryushi. The initial days in Germany were certainly a struggle for him. There was an instant culture shock and learning the German language certainly was no easy task. Now, Ryushi could walk out to streets confidently and converse with the Germans without difficulty. However, after living abroad for so long, he was beginning to miss Japan and the embassy he worked in was the closest thing to back home. Still, Ryushi was incredibly thankful for the opportunity to work in this country. Working in a foreign country was only a dream for many Japanese citizens and many would kill for his position.

Ryushi sat in his office, going over the multiple letters on his desk. He couldn't help but feel overwhelmed from the pile he saw. Not only that, they were all from prominent individuals in his host country, from German businessmen to high-ranking bureaucrats in the German federal government. As he plowed through the envelopes, his eyes widened upon seeing one envelope's sender: _Klaus Kinkel, _the Foreign Minister of Germany.

_'The foreign minister?!'_

Ryushi wondered what the foreign minister out of all people wanted to do with him. He never met the man but he certainly hoped he would some day. Regardless, Ryushi felt humbled that the minister was addressing directly to him instead of the ambassador, who usually got to meet all the people on the top, including German Chancellor _Helmut Kohl_.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" called out Ryushi.

As the door opened, Ryushi's coworker Awano walked in.

"Awano-san, welcome!" greeted Ryushi with a smile.

Awano, on the other hand, did not reciprocate the joyous gesture. In fact, he appeared quite uncomfortable, avoiding looking Ryushi in the eyes.

"Is something wrong, Awano-san?" asked Ryushi as his smile faded.

Awano, still looking down, slowly walked towards Ryushi's desk. He then revealed an envelope, which he cautiously set down on the desk before turning around.

"What is this?" Ryushi raised an eyebrow.

Awano did not answer and continued walking towards the door.

"Awano-san! What's going on?!"

Awano suddenly halted his steps before partially facing Ryushi. As Ryushi looked into his coworker's face, his eyes appeared to be filled with... grief...

"Please, Awano-san." pleaded Ryushi. "What is bothering you?"

As Awano's hands shook slightly, he let out a sigh before replying, "I... I think it's best if you find out for yourself, sir..."

With that, Awano opened the door and quickly left the room.

Meanwhile, Ryushi was utterly confused and continued staring out the door.

_'I wonder what's up with him...'_ he thought to himself before redirecting his attention to the letter on his desk.

Was this letter from another person at the top? Perhaps from the Japanese Foreign Ministry back home? Was he being reassigned? Was he in trouble? Upon seeing the sender's address, Ryushi's eyes widened. It was from the Japanese _National Police Agency_. He immediately tore open the top of the envelope.

_'The NPA? What the hell do they want with me?'_ thought Ryushi, slightly panicking.

After taking out the letter, Ryushi began frantically reading through it. He skimmed through the mundane sections until finally arriving to the actual message at hand.

...

_Dear Mr. Okajima,_

_I am writing you on behalf of the National Police Agency and regret that I must inform you of the death of your brother, Rokuro Okajima. I extend to you and your family the deepest sympathies for your loss._

_Your brother passed away on 4 February, 1995. His death was due to an unfortunate accident during an overseas business trip assigned to him by his employer, Asahi Industries. Rokuro Okajima was killed by pirates when his ship was hijacked in the South China Sea. Unfortunately, his body is yet to be found._

_In order to ensure that all of your questions are answered, please feel free to contact the __Tokyo office of the __National Police Agency at 03-8765-2386._

_Please accept our deepest condolences for your loss._

_Sincerely, _

_Director Shun Nakamura  
National Police Agency - Tokyo Office_

_..._

It felt like time had stopped for a moment. Ryushi's mind felt blank, unable to process anything around him. His hands slowly let go of the letter, letting it fall to the ground. His chest began to feel heavy as he began to ventilate loudly. He slowly began to feel lightheaded, struggling to keep his senses.

_'No, this can't be... This isn't real!"_

Suddenly, Ryushi could no longer feel his muscles. As he collapsed to the floor, he felt the entire world fade away, letting the blackness creep into his vision.

_"Rokuro..."_ whispered Ryushi, forming tears in his eyes.

Soon, he heard faint sounds of the door opening before people walking in. His visions blurring, Ryushi could only make out a vivid figure hovering over him.

_"Okajima-san, are you alright?!" _Ryushi heard a voice say. _"Hey, someone call the ambulance! Now!"_

* * *

**Location: Tokyo, Japan**

Among dozens of people present at the funeral, Ryushi stood in the front row, along with his fiance Asuka at his side. No matter how much he tried, Ryushi couldn't bring himself to hold his tears. At the very least, he tried to keep his voice down. But even that was futile as kept weeping. As Ryushi broke down, Asuka comforted him by putting her arms around him, as well as shedding some tears herself.

On the other side were his parents, Ichiro and Mariko. Unsurprisingly, his father wore a stoic look on his face. Whether he was trying to simply look strong or being apathetic, he didn't know. Nor did he care anymore. On the other hand, his mother let a tear roll down her face. As saddened as he was to see this, Ryushi was also touched to see that his mother did care for Rokuro.

As he wept, Ryushi still couldn't fathom everything at hand. He still cursed that notification letter from the police he received in Berlin. It all happened too suddenly... It happened too soon... Out of all the ways it could end for him, Rokuro had to die on his job. And here, Ryushi thought suicide would be the bigger risk, especially after the bridge incident in their younger years. Regardless, Ryushi had so many regrets. There were so many things he still wanted to do with Rokuro, from simply spending more time with him to helping his little brother become a better person. But now, just like that, Rokuro was gone from the face of the earth. However, what Ryushi felt more than regret was _guilt_. Looking back, Ryushi should've done much more for his little brother. Unlike himself, Rokuro was dealt with a bad hand and life just had to be so cruel to him. He didn't deserve any of the shit that he went through and thinking about it still made Ryushi's blood boil. Yes, Ryushi may have stood by his brother when no else did. However, it wasn't enough. Again, he should've done much more to alleviate Rokuro's situation. If Ryushi could start over, he would've absolutely given up his foreign service career and stay home at Rokuro's side. Unfortunately, this wasn't _Back to the Future. _What happened couldn't be undone and it was too late. And Ryushi would never forgive himself for this... Regardless, he missed Rokuro dearly, as needless it was to say. His brother... His best friend... Ryushi wanted to see him _now_.

After the funeral rites were finished, everyone stood and bowed at the altar in respect. As everyone began to leave, Ryushi walked up to the altar and stared into Rokuro's picture frame. He then clapped his hands twice before closing his eyes and bowing.

"I'm so sorry, Rokuro." whispered Ryushi as tears slid down his cheeks. "I wasn't strong enough for you. I hope you can forgive me in the afterlife..."

Ryushi set a hand on the altar before finishing, "I love you, Rokuro..."

Finally, Ryushi and Asuka paid on last respect to Rokuro with a bow before leaving the funeral room. Despite wiping away his tears on his face, the tear marks were still noticeable on Ryushi. Not that he cared, however... Soon, the others gathered around the outside area, with some trying to comfort the Okajima family. However, Ryushi wanted none of it. He knew most of these people were only present to save face. None of them truly cared about the deceased person at hand. He'd rather go home and weep alone with his wife.

Before Ryushi and Asuka exited out the door, they were stopped by a voice.

"Okajima-san!" called out someone.

As Ryushi turned around, he saw a group of give people approaching him. Among them was Kageyama from Asahi Industries, who he instantly recognized.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Okajima-san. I am Hidetada Kageyama of Asahi Industries." greeted Kageyama with a bow before extending his hands. "You are his older brother, correct?"

"Yes, yes I am." answered Ryushi as he returned the handshake, trying his best to put up a smile.

"This is truly a sad day for all of us, Okajima-san. You have my sincere condolences."

"Thank you kindly. It means a lot for you to be here."

"Rokuro Okajima was a hard worker and his loss is a terrible blow to Asahi Industries. Our company takes full responsibility for this terrible tragedy and we will ensure his death was not in vain. Therefore, he will receive the posthumous promotion to the position of _assistant-manager._"

Ryushi was a bit taken aback from what Kageyama just said. Still, he kept up his polite face and bowed.

"Thank you."

"Furthermore, Asahi Industries will do its absolute best to recover his body and return it to you. Though given the precarious security situation in the South China Sea, it may be a while for progress to take its shape. But that's a matter for another time. Today is a day for mourning." finished Kageyama before bowing. "Once again, you have the condolences from myself and Asahi Industries. We are terribly sorry for your loss and we wish you well."

Kageyama's aides then stood at attention before bowing as well. Meanwhile, Ryushi was internally shaking his head. He knew this was all an act by them. Nevertheless, he returned the bow as well.

"Thank you very much, Kageyama-san." thanked Ryushi.

"I wish you a good day, Okajima-san. Goodbye." bowed Kageyama once more before turning around.

As Kageyama and his aides went their way, the polite expression on Ryushi's face slowly turned into a cold glare. In fact, he felt absolutely enraged inside. To hell with this damn _honor_ and _promotion_! These people assigned Rokuro to a business trip without any regard to his safety. And now, they thought giving him some meaningless promotion AFTER he died would make up for it? These sleezebags didn't care about anyone but the numbers on their profit reports. Everyone else, including Rokuro, was an expendable tool that was immediately discarded after these corporate overlords squeezed out his or her worth. Ryushi was infuriated and he wanted to beat down all of Rokuro's employers until they lost their senses.

As for Kageyama, it didn't take Einstein to know something fishy was going on with that man. In fact, Ryushi was no stranger to who Kageyama really was. Scandals weren't uncommon for Asahi Industries and for every one of them, he always heard Kageyama's name being mentioned. Ryushi was surprised that there hasn't been any form of public scrutiny conducted on that man. Though considering how powerful he was, it wasn't surprising. Regardless, even now, Ryushi could tell from his demeanor alone that there was more going on than he was being told. In fact, that man reeked of blood...

"Come on, love. Let's go home." Asuka spoke softly.

Ryushi snapped out of his thoughts before facing his fiance, giving her a light smile. "Yes, dear."

* * *

**Date: 1996 **

"Um, this shouldn't take too long, okay?" assured Rock as he handed the drink to Revy.

"Hmm..." grunted Revy.

"See ya..."

"Shoo! Hurry up and go! Shoo, shoo!" Revy tried to drive Rock away, waving him off.

As he walked off into the neighborhood, she eyed him intently before taking a sip of the drink.

_'I'll be waiting here for ya... But not forever... Just until I finish drinking this... After that I'm leaving, partner...'_

As Rock walked through his old neighborhood, his old memories flooded back in his mind. The street he took to get to school... The various houses he and his brother used to ding-dong ditch... Everything was still in its place. Nothing has changed...

Finally, Rock arrived in front of his old home. A modest and medium-sized house surrounded by walls of cinder blocks, along with red gates. He then checked the mail box, which still had his family name written on it. This was the right place.

He pushed past the red gates and walked up to the house's front door. For a moment, Rock considered pressing the alarm button, just to be respectful. However, he changed his mind last minute and decided to just walk in. It was his home after all. Rock took a deep breath before cautiously grabbing the door handle.

_'Here goes nothing...' _

Surprisingly, the door was unlocked. Rock pushed it open, letting it creak away before slowly walking in. He then slipped off his shoes before stepping on the floor platform. As he checked the living room and kitchen area, there was no one to be found. Meanwhile, everything, such as the furnitures and decorations were all still in the same place.

_'Huh, maybe they're sleeping...' _thought Rock as he walked around.

Rock began inspecting some of the picture frames on the wall. As he skimmed through the various portraits of his family, he quickly noticed something to be absent: The portraits of _himself. _Sure, there was still the family picture that consisted of everyone but any individual photos of Rock were all gone. Most likely, his parents were trying to save face by pretending that he never existed. Frankly, Rock wasn't surprised by any of it. He remembered clear as day how his relations with his parents were. Though Rock had to admit that he was beginning to reconcile with his mother for a while before he disappeared. It was a shame it didn't happen sooner...

"Oh well..." sighed Rock before moving on.

First, Rock visited his parents' room. Just like the living room, everything was in its place, which said a lot since he never delved into his parents' room that much. Everything was arranged in an orderly fashion, as if it was prepared for a guest. Safe to say, they weren't here.

Next, Rock entered his own room. Low and behold, all his belongings were gone. His bed was stripped to a basic mattress and only a desk and chair remained. Though since his supposed 'death', there was no use for any of it anymore. Nevertheless, his room no longer meant anything to him anymore. He simply shrugged and moved on the next place.

Finally, Rock arrived at Ryushi's room. Surprisingly, Ryushi's room was cleared up as well, though some of his belongings were still there, such as his pink silk blankets. Rock couldn't help but give out a slight smile, still wondering why his brother chose _pink _out of all colors. However, he slowly frowned as memories of his brother began to resurface. All those times they struggled and enjoyed together... They were coming back...

Rock didn't know how to feel at the moment. He certainly did not regret choosing his new life in Roanapur. However, that wasn't to say that Rock didn't have conflicting thoughts. In fact, a part of him continued to carry guilt... Guilt that Rock could never lift from his shoulder... That guilt was from leaving Ryushi_. _It pained Rock to imagine how his brother was dealing with his _death. _Lord knew how heartbroken Ryushi was when the news hit him. To add insult to injury, Rock had every opportunity to go back to Japan and break the good news to his brother. He had an opportunity RIGHT NOW to ditch Balalaika and Revy and instead, go find his brother right now. However, Rock couldn't bring himself to do that due to two crucial and irreversible reasons: Roanapur was Rock's new life now. As familiar as Japan felt to Rock, it also felt extremely foreign to him now. And Rock came to Japan not to go back to his life, but to finally cut his ties with it. Secondly, the brother that Ryushi knew was no more; Rokuro Okajima was dead. He was now Rock, a pirate in the South China Seas. On the other hand, last time Rock knew, Ryushi was getting married with his fiance and he probably had his own family by now. Both were living in completely different worlds now and perhaps it was the best for everyone to leave things the way they were. The only thing Rock hoped for was that Ryushi accepted Rock's passing and moved on by now. Regardless, one thing was clear. Rock had no regrets and there was no turning back for him.

Finally, Rock slipped back into shoes and made one final glance at the living room before opening the door. As he stepped out, however, Rock couldn't help but feel slight tears forming in his eyes. As much as he hated to admit it, Rock could never completely let go of his folk.

After walking through neighborhood again, Rock made it back to the neighborhood park. As he searched for Revy, Rock raised an eyebrow from what was happening in the distance. Revy was _playing_ with a group of kids...

_'Well there's something you don't see everyday...' _thought Rock. As he approached the scene, he couldn't help but snicker at the scene.

Suddenly, Revy fell forward to the ground in the silliest fashion, causing Rock to raise another eyebrow. The group of kids around Revy looked just as baffled as he was.

"Lady, if that's what it's like to die, it kinda sucks!" said one of the boys.

Revy began laughing before replying, "I'm sorry, but that's just how it is when you die! In real life, dying never looks that coo-"

Revy suddenly paused when she felt a shadow looming over her. She then looked up to see Rock standing over her, having a baffled look on his face.

"What are you doing?" asked Rock.

Revy quickly sat back up, her face flushing in embarrassment. "How long have you been watching...?"

"Since about the time you charged into the Deadwood saloon." answered Rock nonchalantly. "That's a pretty different ending from what I remember. Calamity Jane didn't die in that exact location."

"God dammit, Rock..." growled Revy as she crushed the toy with her hand. She then threw it away, much to the kids' disdain.

"Hey, that's my gun!" whined the boy as he ran after it with his friends.

Suddenly, Revy grabbed Rock by his arm before dragging him away.

"Listen up! If you tell Dutch OR Benny about this, I swear to God I'll cut your balls off and feed them to you on the end of a fucking skewer!"

"Okay, I won't say a thing!" assured Rock.

As both walked through the neighborhood in silence, Revy couldn't help but wonder why Rock came back. At first, she was dead set on leaving him. But she got distracted by those damn kids and they just had to ruin the plan... Still, she didn't feel upset at all. In fact, she almost felt... _relief_... Was she glad that Rock returned to her?

"So, were you able to meet up with your folks?" asked Revy suddenly.

"Oh, well... I did end up going to the house but I didn't see them. There was no one there..." answered Rock, earning a chuckle from Revy. "What is it?"

"Eh, it's nothing." brushed off Revy. "Anyway, we're still here for a few more days."

"Hmm... You're right." nodded Rock.

As both resumed their walk, Revy still couldn't help but wonder about Rock's decision.

_'I don't get it... __Why won't he just go home? It's like this place is made for him. He belongs here...'_

* * *

**A/N:**

**Well, that's the epilogue for you! I wanted to write the epilogue chapter because I wanted to give more light to Ryushi's situation and how he dealt with Rock's "death" later on. I also added the scene where Rock visits his old home during the Fujiyama Gangster Paradise Arc because the anime never actually showed what he did when he went inside. So I wanted to show my version of what probably happened behind the scenes. **

**As for what comes next, my next story plan is an origin story for Revy. I've already written out the script/summary for the basic direction of the story. Unfortunately, updates from now on won't be very frequent. They only reason I was able to finish this story in about a month was because I was on winter break. However, now that classes have started again, I'm going to be a lot more busy. And sorry to say, but fanfiction isn't my primary goal in life. I have other life goals that I want to achieve and fanfiction isn't among them. This is ultimately just a hobby for me. But with that being said, I will try to finish all of my black lagoon story ideas before life eventually hits me. **

**Anyways, with that, Rock's origin story finally comes to a close and I hope everyone enjoyed the ride!**

***Update May 2020 - Some revisions were made, especially with the constant switcharoos of 'Rock' and 'Rokuro'**

**Please review! Thank you!**


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